Once Upon A Chairytale
by rayj829
Summary: Alternate take on the series starting right after Victor. Victrola. Mostly from Chair's (Chuck and Blair's) POV, but Serena, Nate and Co. are included as well. Including storylines chronologically from season 1 through season 6, however later seasons will have major alternate storylines from what was on the show (but for the better!).
1. Chapter 1 - The Birthday Bust

_A/N: Greetings and salutations! If you're familiar with any of my previous fanfics on here, you'll notice that I tend to enjoy taking existing GG episodes and tweaking them to how I wished they would have ended. After reading a lot of Chair fanfics on here in the past few months (I've sorta become a bit of a junkie!) I've gathered ideas here and there for other various episodes I'd like to change around and just decided to go ahead, picking up in season 1 after "Victor, Victrola" and altering the entire Chuck and Blair storyline from there. While I don't intend to do every episode of the series (like pLei4fun did with season 1 and is currently doing for season 2 – which I thoroughly enjoy reading and wish she had more time to update sooner), I have outlined and mapped out key points from various episodes in seasons 1 and 2 that I wanted to alter and a rough sketch of how altered storylines affect things that happen in seasons 3-6._

_ Updating may be a bit infrequent as the holidays are coming up and I do work retail management so some chapters may be up much sooner than others, but I will do my best to keep the story posted in a timely manner and finish it eventually (no offense to anyone, but I have read some AMAZING fanfics on here only to be disappointed when I get through a ton of chapters to learn that it's been an unfinished story for months or even years – I promise, this will be a finished product eventually!)._

_Please keep in mind though, as a Chair shipper, the focus of this story will mostly be on them with the rest of the storylines for their friends and family being dispersed and mentioned throughout._

_Disclaimer (as I'm only saying this once): I do not own Gossip Girl and mean no copyright infringement. I'm just a fan, writing a harmless fanfic._

_With that said, please enjoy and read and review! I'm open to suggestions, especially if there's a particular episode you're hoping to read an alternative take on!_

* * *

Blair stepped out of the church and onto the sidewalk. While she felt a little better after seeking advice and wisdom from the priest, she still couldn't believe she had done that. Then again, she couldn't believe much of anything she had done in the last 12 hours.

_Drinking her sorrows away over Nate wasn't too far-fetched for a princess and future queen of the Upper East Side, but getting up on that stage and stripping down to her slip? In front of Chuck Bass of all people? That was definitely unBlair-like. And then giving herself to him in the back of his limo? What was she thinking?! Thank goodness priests are sworn by God to keep confidentiality. God only knows who else saw her at Victrola last night, and leaving with Chuck no less! She could only hope the story didn't make page 6!_

_Granted, Chuck had been a complete gentlemen, asking her several times if she was sure it was what she wanted and making her feel comfortable and at ease, especially knowing it was her first time... it was an amazing time, or two... or three... she sweetly smiled as she recalled last night's encounter with him, but no! That was supposed to have happened with Nate – NOT Chuck of all people! _

_God, what would Serena think of her, losing her virtue to Chuck of all people... She didn't even want to think of how she would tell S the news, as she knew sooner or later it would come up. _

She was so lost in thought as she walked along the street in the quiet morning hours that she didn't even notice the limo – his limo – slowing down and pulling up next to her.

"Well, this is the last place I'd expect to find you," Chuck declared, smiling at her as he rolled down the window.

"Go away, Chuck! I've been given orders, practically from God himself, to avoid you," Blair snapped back. She had hoped he would treat their night together like he did all his conquests, forgetting about it and acting like nothing had happened. Clearly she wasn't going to be that lucky. He would probably use it against her at some point and time in the future.

"Would you consider avoiding me over breakfast?" Chuck asked, sweetly. For some odd reason, after their night together, he just couldn't get Blair out of his mind. And he was determined to get to the bottom of why.

"Sorry, but as is tradition on the day before my birthday, I'm heading to the jeweler's to put some pieces on hold for Eleanor and..."

"Nate?" Chuck interrupted. "Oh, I don't think Nate will be singing "Happy Birthday" this year," he smirked, tormenting her.

"No one knows that Nate and I broke up and it's going to stay that way so I can fix this!" Blair shot back at him. "And I don't think your best friend would still be your best friend if he knew." _Yeah, she could play this game too,_ she thought. _Nate finding out about last night would pose just as much of a problem for Chuck as it would for her._

"If he knew how much I enjoyed the removal of a certain chastity belt in the back of this very limo?" Chuck quipped. _She was good. She was very good,_ he thought to himself. _But if he knew Nate, Nate would stick by the bro-code of "Bros before Hoes" - Nate finding out about last night would be much worse for Blair than it would be for him._

Blair paused. _Shit... what if Nate did find out? After all, it was her virginity to give away and Nate knew full well that Chuck would never just take that from someone unless it was offered to him. Nate would blame her more so than he would Chuck._

"From this moment forward, the events of last night will never be mentioned again – is that clear?" she demanded. _Nate must never know_, she decided.

"Not as clear as the memory of you purring in my ear, which I have been replaying over and over..." he continued to torment her. _Oh this was going to be fun_, he thought.

"Well, erase the tape! Because as far as I'm concerned, it never happened!" she snapped at him.

"Blair, please... c'mon, let's talk over breakfast. Can I at least treat you to that?" He didn't know why, but Chuck really wanted to spend some more one on one time. Just being near her was giving him a rush and sensation he had never experienced before, almost like his heart was fluttering.

"No, Chuck! I'm going to the jeweler's and that's final." _What was his deal_, she thought. _This was so unlike Chuck._

"Fine," he snapped back. "I'll see you at your party tonight."

"You're officially uninvited," she quipped as she turned and walked away.

"Never stopped me before!" he yelled after her. _They were going to talk about what happened last night eventually, whether she liked it or not, _he told himself.

* * *

"Have you seen this?" Eleanor shrieked with a tone of disapproval in her voice as Blair waltz into the penthouse later that morning.

_Great..._ Blair thought, _did my little stunt at Victrola last night really make page 6?! Guess it's time to face the music..._

"Since when does drunk and disorderly get this much attention?" Blair questioned.

"Since never," Eleanor said, suspiciously. "The Captain is being charged with embezzlement and fraud. This is an absolute disaster!"

"It must be awful for them..." Blair thought aloud.

"I meant for me!" Eleanor declared. "The Captain is supposed to represent me! The contracts are about to be signed... what about my IPO, huh? What is going to happen to my Bendel's deal?!"

"Nate looks so helpless..." Blair said as she glanced at the newspaper.

"I have to call my attorney," Eleanor decided. "I have to put an end to this deal before it goes any further!"

"I have to talk to Nate." Blair decided as well, as much as she really wasn't ready to talk to him about anything. She went upstairs to the privacy of her room and dialed her newly-ex.

There was no answer, however.

_Either he's ignoring me completely or he's just swamped with his family mess... _Blair hoped it was the latter. While they were technically broken up for the time being, she still loved and cared for him – you don't just get over someone over night. Even if you did sleep with his best friend.

"Nate? It's me," Blair started to leave a voicemail. "I know we sort of hit a rough patch last night and while I may have said somethings... look, I saw the newspapers, and well... if you need someone to talk to, you know I'm here. Don't worry about making it to my party tonight, if you don't feel up to it – your family is more important right now and I completely understand if you feel the need to focus on and be there for them at the moment. We'll talk about us later, just right now do what you feel you need to do for your family. I still love and care about you. Call me when you can."

_One awkward bullet dodged!_ She thought as she hung up the phone.

A moment later her phone rang. Without looking, Blair answered it right away.

"Nate?" she hoped.

"No B, it's S," Serena spoke. "Have you heard about Nate and his family?!"

"Omigod – yes, S! Isn't it horrible?" Blair asked her.

"Yes, B! Have you heard from Nate?"

"Well... not exactly... I just got off the phone..."

"I'm coming over – we have to talk," Serena interrupted. "You must be just as much of a wreck! And the day of your party too!"

Before Blair could protest, Serena had hung up and was clearly headed over. She could only hope S was too distracted by Nate's news to bother prying into Blair's secrets.

* * *

"I CAN'T BELIEVE HE TOLD HER YOU GUYS WERE GOING TO DO IT!" Blair exclaimed. That Humphrey! Serena sure knew how to pick them... the Boy Wonder from Brooklyn definitely wasn't winning any points with Blair.

"Well... I told you..." Serena said sheepishly.

"That's different – I'm a girl!" Blair shot back. Serena could be just as clueless sometimes – there are somethings that are taboo with certain people. Hopeless Humphrey discussing his and Serena's sex life with a female friend of his was just one of those things.

"Yeah, well... so is she!" Serena responded.

"Exactly my point!" Blair was getting frustrated as she didn't know how to get through to Serena that what Dan did was a major relationship faux-pas. "But even if she wasn't, when you get a boyfriend, you become the best friend and the best friend becomes the second best friend. That's just how it has to be if it's ever going to work!"

Serena just shrugged. "If you say so, B... Hey! You still haven't told me how Nate's doing – it's all over the news now!"

Blair rolled her eyes at Serena's changing the subject - clearly she wasn't going to get through to her just how badly the Brooklynite messed up.

"Uh, well... when I talked to him this morning I... I told him to focus on his family today." Blair told her. It was a half truth – she did tell Nate that, even if it was to his voicemail instead of directly to him.

"But he's still coming to your party, right?" Serena asked.

"Um... I told him not to worry about it – I mean, only if he's up to it."

"Aww... you're such a good girlfriend, B! Really!" Serena gushed. "I'll just pick you up and we can go together, but I really do hope Nate can make it!" Serena gave Blair a hug as she got up to leave to get ready for the party that night.

At this point though, Blair almost wished he wouldn't, what with Chuck's threat of showing up anyway... who knows what he would say if Nate was there too. It could only be awkward.

* * *

Blair was watching one of her favorite Audrey films on her laptop when her phone rang. Seeing that it was finally Nate calling her back, she quickly sat up to answer it.

"Hi! Are you okay? I've been texting you all day..." Blair began.

"Yeah... I'm... I'm fine, thanks. I, um... just been a little busy," Nate struggled to get out. After what happened between them last night, he was a little unsure as to where exactly things stood between them.

"Well, I just wanted to check on you... see if you needed anything..." Blair told him.

"Yeah, I kinda do, actually..." Nate trailed on.

"Oh?"

"Um, Blair... do you think we might have been a little... a little hasty with the whole breakup?" Nate asked.

_Ughhhh..._ she thought. This was not the conversation she wanted to be having with him right now.

"I... I don't know, Nate... it was a pretty difficult decision..."

"Yeah... look, I totally understand. I'm sorry... I shouldn't have brought it up..." Nate said.

"Well... we do have a lot of history together... and... it was in the heat of the moment..." Guilt was starting to set in, he had enough going on with his family right now and he didn't have his girlfriend beside him for support... perhaps maybe she was a bit hasty breaking up with him like she did. "...but you'd have to be willing to really work for it," she added. She couldn't take him back just like that. She's Queen B after all.

"Yeah, yeah – of course!" Nate accepted. "Listen, we'll just take it slow and see how it goes... and um, I've got a birthday present for you – it's... uh, something special..."

"I can't wait to open it at my party! I'll... see you there!"

Before Nate could get another word out Blair hung up. Her birthday wish was coming true – her and Nate would be back together tonight and no one would be none the wiser... it would almost be like they never broke up at all.

She quickly dialed the jeweler's.

"Hi... this is Blair Waldorf. I was wondering if any of the pieces that I put on hold were picked up today... the diamond necklace? Really? Okay, thank you!"

Blair squealed with delight as she jumped up and down. Nate really did love her and was definitely making it up to her – he had gotten her the Erickson Beamon necklace! Despite being her favorite piece she picked out that morning, it was probably the most expensive piece as well... however she didn't expect anyone else but Nate to get it for her. It was a piece she would cherish forever.

* * *

"C'mon, man! I can hear you breathing on the other side of the door... is she anybody you can get rid of?" Nate pleaded outside the door of Chuck's suite at The Palace. "I just really need to talk to you, man... please?"

Chuck really wasn't ready to speak to Nathaniel just yet. He didn't even know where to begin... but here he was, outside his suite carrying on. _Now or never_, Chuck told himself. _Just see how this plays out. Maybe he doesn't even know yet..._

"Nathaniel!" Chuck greeted his best friend from as far back as he can remember as he swung open the door. _He looks like shit,_ Chuck thought.

"Where's the girl?" Nate asked, looking around curiously as he entered.

"In my dreams," Chuck quipped. It was a half truth..."I was trying to get some shut-eye. What's on your mind?"

"It's my mom..." Nate started.

"Sounds Freudian," Chuck interrupted as he casually placed a certain jeweler's bag out of sight.

_Act cool, it's just Nate... he doesn't know, he just wants to talk about his family's front page drama. As long as you act cool, he won't suspect anything is strange._

"She wants me to give Blair her ring," Nate blurted out as he sat down on the couch nearby.

"What?" Chuck exclaimed. Well that wasn't what he was expecting to hear. "You guys broke up!"

"Yeah, I know..." Nate said. Chuck noticed, it dawned on him – he hadn't told Chuck about that yet. "Wait – how do you know?"

_Shit, shit, shit! Think fast! Save your ass before he gets more suspicious!_

"Predictably, your ex ran the old... uh... grill-the-best-friend play. Tried to find out where your head was at..." Chuck took a breath. _Good save... Nate'll believe that._ "So, uh... where is your head at?"

"Spinning," Nate said matter of factly. "I mean, my mom wants me to get back with Blair so Eleanor doesn't pull out of their business deal. It's all because of my dad's whole trial thing... you know?"

"Yeah... I'm sorry about all that..." Chuck tried to act like the caring best friend, however he really wasn't ready for Blair to jump so quickly back into Nate's arms. There were certain... things he needed to discuss with her... and certain thoughts about her that Chuck needed to sort out for himself while the opportunity was still available. "...but look – if you're done with Blair, be done. Don't cave to your parent's wishes if they're not your desires..."

"Excuse me?" Nate was completely caught off guard by Chuck's remark. "Where's my boy at? You know, 'Seal the deal.' 'Tap that ass.' 'Money marries bigger money.'?"

Ugh... this was going to be harder than he thought.

_Time to turn on the Bass charm and act convincing._

"Look, I care about three things, Nathaniel – money, the pleasures money brings me, and you. I'm just trying to have your back here. Your parents have been controlling you your whole life – it if doesn't end now, when will it ever?"

Nate thought about what Chuck just said. He was right – if he was going to propose to anyone, it would be because he really wanted to, not because his parents forced him into it for their own benefit.

"You're absolutely right, man. Thanks!"

"No problem, Nathaniel," Chuck said, raising his glass of scotch to his best friend, secretly toasting his save. He finished it with a gulp. "Now, if you don't mind... I'd like to get a little shut-eye before the party this evening."

"Party..." Nate thought aloud. "Yeah..."

"You don't think you're going?" Chuck inquired.

"I don't know, man... I mean, we are broken up and if we're not getting back together... it might be a little awkward... I guess I haven't really decided yet if I am or not."

"Well, I'll be sure to tell her happy birthday if you don't," Chuck grinned. If Nate didn't show he might actually get that chance tonight to talk with Blair and figure out just what had happened between them last night and why he was feeling the way he was.

"Thanks again man," Nate said as he got up and gave Chuck a hug and pat on the back before heading to the door. "I owe ya one!"

"You have no idea..." Chuck said to himself as Nate left the suite.

* * *

As planned, Blair and Serena arrived to the party fashionably late. Blair took a quick look around – it definitely looked like everyone was having fun!

"Serena! Blair!" Kati and Iz squealed as soon as they spotted Queen B and S. "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"

"Oh my god, Kati! Your brother's place looks fabulous!" Blair exclaimed. It was like a little piece of Japan had been brought in just for her birthday.

"Yeah, I know, right?" Kati responded.

"It's incredible!" Serena declared.

"C'mon guys, let's check it out!" Kati said as she pulled Blair and Serena along for a tour.

There was Guitar Hero being played in one room and dancing with a DJ in another. There was even a sushi chef making fresh sushi dishes for everyone! Blair was a bit hungry so her and Serena decided to sit down and order some sushi rolls.

"Hey so... where's Nate?" Serena asked between bites.

"Um... I'm sure he'll be here soon," Blair hesitantly answered. "Where's Dan?" she asked, changing the focus of the conversation.

"Oh, uh... he said he's coming but I haven't talked to him since this morning," Serena responded as she stuffed another sushi roll into her mouth.

"Well, you better check in on him – make sure the best friend hasn't whisked him away to do some friendly activity!" Blair smirked. She couldn't believe Serena had gone all afternoon and evening without following up with clueless Humphrey.

"Oh, shut up," Serena quipped back. "Oh, hey! There's Chuck! I bet he knows where Nate is!"

_Great..._ Blair thought, as she looked around for somewhere to escape to before Chuck found her first.

"I think Nate probably just snuck in while we were dancing..." Blair remarked as she excused herself and quickly took off in the other direction.

"Chuck!" Serena called out. But before she knew it, Blair had disappeared on her.

* * *

Chuck had heard Serena call out to him as soon as he entered the party. One glance in her direction though and he didn't see the reason why he had come.

_She probably knows where Blair is though..._ he thought.

"S..." Chuck greeted Serena as he sat down in the empty seat next to her. "You don't happen to know where the birthday girl is, do you?"

"Funny you should ask, Chuck," Serena responded. "We were just going to ask you if you happened to know where Nate is, however Blair seemed to disappear a moment ago."

_So she's playing hard to get, huh? I'm up for the challenge._

"Sorry, Serena – I haven't heard from Nate since earlier this afternoon," Chuck told her as he got up to go scour the party for Blair.

_What was with Blair's sudden running off the moment Chuck entered the room. And why was Chuck so eager to find her? Something was going on between them,_ Serena decided.

* * *

Because it was her party and everyone there knew who Blair Waldorf was, it didn't take long for Chuck to find her outside, alone on the balcony.

With a smile on his face, he approached her. And as he did, that rush and fluttering sensation he felt around her earlier this morning started up again.

"Are you ready for your present?" he asked as he approached her.

Blair had a devious look on her face. _The nerve he has, showing up after I told him he was uninvited!_ Out of nowhere she grabbed him by the hair.

"Ow! If you wanted to play rough, all you had to do was ask..." he couldn't help but grin and stifle a laugh. She had no idea how playful he found her behavior just then.

"Hi! Happy Birthday!" some female guest yelled over to Blair as she walked past the duo.

"Hello, there! Happy birthday to me!" Blair yelled back, being polite. She sighed as she turned to Chuck. "You nauseate me."

Chuck looked her in the eye. He got Nate to realize it earlier, now it was her turn to face reality. "All this talk about how you have to be with Nate or the world will end... Face it, Waldorf – it's over."

She rolled her eyes, _how dare he!_ "You sound like a jealous boyfriend, Bass." She turned her back to him, looking out over the brightly lit up New York skyline at night. _Where is Nate? He should be here by now... instead I'm spending my birthday party being awkwardly harassed by Chuck._

_Seriously? Who does she think she is?_ "Pfft, yeah, right!" he spit out. "You wish!"

Blair's ears perked up. _What did he just say? Then it dawned on her, why he was acting so weird this morning and then now. Oh no... this can't be happening... he can't be..._

"No... you wish!" she threw it back at him.

"Please... you forget who you're talking to!" he snapped at her.

"So do you!" She snapped back. "Do you... like me?" She asked inquisitively.

Chuck was silent for a moment as he gathered his thoughts. _Do I? Is that what this is?_

"Define 'Like'." he told her.

_OH MY GOD!_ She screamed in her head, a look of shock and horror displayed on her face. _Never in a million years would I have thought..._

"Uh uh! No! You have got to be... I don't believe this!" she managed to sputter out.

Chuck was getting impatient. "How do you think I feel?! I haven't slept! I feel sick, like there's something... something in my stomach... fluttering!" he spit out.

"Butterflies?!" Blair exclaimed. "No! No, no, no, no, no! This. Is not. Happening!" She was completely beyond belief. _Is Chuck Bass – the devil of the Upper East Side – actually falling for me? Of all people, my now-ex's best friend? Why?! God, why? This can't be happening!_

Chuck didn't know what to say, clearly what he had been feeling all day was not mutual. "Believe me – no one is more surprised or ashamed than I am!"

He had never felt this way about anyone he had slept with before. Up until then, it had always just been one night stands, sending the girl packing right away or first thing in the morning if he was feeling generous, never to see them again aside from the accidental run-in around town. Granted, he knew it would be different with Blair as they were in the same social circle, but still... it had always just been no strings attached sex... up until now. This was completely different. He was completely drawn to her, like he couldn't get enough of her. And he didn't know what to do about it.

"Chuck," Blair said, drawing him back to reality. "You know that I adore all of God's creatures and the metaphors that they inspire... but those butterflies... they have GOT to be murdered!"

Chuck didn't know what to say. "Fine," he conceded. "It wasn't that great anyway." He said he as turned to walk away from her. Clearly she wasn't going to be any help.

"Thanks..." Blair mumbled as she watched Chuck go back inside to the party. _What the hell was that about?_ She thought.

After a few minutes more of fresh air, she decided to go back in also. It was her party after all.

* * *

"I can't believe he brought that troll..." Blair muttered to herself as she went back outside on the balcony patio. The Brooklynite had some nerve bringing the girl friend or whatever she was to him to _her_ birthday party, when he knew fully well he was only invited because Serena had requested it.

"S is on her own this time, I tried to warn her..." Blair spoke to no one in particular as she downed a sip of her drink.

"I'm sure you did..." she heard Chuck's voice approaching from behind her. She nearly choked on her drink.

"Stalk me much?" she retorted.

"What are you still doing up here, all alone?" he gently asked her.

She sighed. They had known each other long enough, of course he could tell when something was bothering her.

"I don't know where Nate is... and he always calls me at midnight, when it turns into my birthday," she confessed.

"Well..." Chuck began, "I wouldn't count on it tonight. Doesn't it strike you as... just a little bit of a coincidence, the timing of everything?"

"What do you mean?" Blair asked. _What is he getting at?_

"Well... Nate suddenly decides he wants to get back together just moments after your mother puts the brakes on her deal with the Captain?"

_Seriously, Chuck? You're really going to accuse Nate of that?_

"So you're saying Nate is only pretending to like me and that he's actually using me to get to my mother? He wouldn't do that... We both know he's better than that."

"He would if it was to help his family – you know he would," Chuck pointed out.

He does have a point... but... "Nate loves me," she said boldly. "Whatever he's doing, wherever he is, he will call at midnight. You'll see."

Chuck arched an eyebrow, _let's see if she'll play..._

"Care to make a wager, Waldorf? If he calls, I'll leave you alone forever. If he doesn't... you spend the night with me."

"I will not!" Blair quickly exclaimed. _The nerve!_

"I thought you were sure," Chuck grinned at her. Based on his earlier conversation with Nate, he knew he had it in the bag, and he really wanted to spend another night with her, whether it be just talking with their mouths or their bodies.

_C'mon, Waldorf... you know you can't resist a bet._

Blair hesitated before responding "You're gonna lose – he's never missed my birthday." Nate would call, she just knew it.

Chuck grinned his devilish grin as he watched Blair march back into the party.

_Game on, Waldorf!_

* * *

Chuck noticed Blair out on the balcony patio again a little while later, only this time she was clearly upset and sulking.

_Some friend Serena is... too busy keeping up with that Brooklyn troll to even notice her best friend is having a crummy time at her own birthday party..._ Chuck thought. _Someone needs to check on Blair though..._ he looked at his watch and noticed it was just past midnight.

Carefully, he approached her.

"Hey... it's 12:01," he told her, as he gently came up next to her. "I'm sorry." He attempted to be genuine.

He truly was sorry that Nate had left her hanging, yet at the same time he was a bit relieved as it meant it he actually had a shot at getting to spend some one on one time with her like he had been hoping for ever since she left his limo this morning.

Blair turned around, annoyed that he was there yet again.

"No, you're smarmy. There's a difference," she quipped.

_Will he just leave me alone, already? I feel bad enough without his gloating about being right..._

"If you're coming to collect, you can forget it," she snapped at him.

Chuck noticed Serena and some others coming from the other direction with Blair's birthday cake in tow. "Turn around," he told her.

"You get grosser by the second," she sighed in annoyance as she rolled her eyes at him.

It was Chuck's turn to sigh – here he was, trying to be a decent friend and she was acting like he was a nasty vermin. "And you get older – look." he told her as he turned her around towards Serena and the cake.

"Happy birthday!" Serena squealed with glee, having no idea of what had been going on with Blair throughout the night.

"Blair!" Iz exclaimed, "Blow out your candles!"

"Make a wish, Blair!" Kati demanded.

Sadly, Blair looked at Chuck. Despite him stalking her around the party like a lovesick lost puppy, he seemed to be the only one that really understood what was going on with her tonight. She sighed. Turning back towards Serena, Kati, Iz and the others she announced "It already didn't come true..."

With that, she excused herself to be alone.

Serena was confused just like everyone else but Chuck. "What just happened?" S wondered.

Chuck sighed, _Some friend Serena was... she could be completely clueless and self absorbed at times..._ He blew out the candles since no one else was. _Where did Blair go now?_ He wondered as he left to go find her.

Moments later, a Gossip Girl blast blew up everyone's phones.

_Spotted: Nate Archibald, depositing a mystery girl into a taxi after midnight. All we know about her for sure? She's not Blair Waldorf..._

"Oh. My. God! Serena!" Kati and Iz called over to S.

"Have you seen this? I can't believe Gossip Girl would do this to her on her birthday!" Iz declared.

"You know what, maybe she's wrong... it wouldn't be the first time!" Serena suggested.

"I can't believe Gossip Girl!" Kati exclaimed as Blair walked over to the group.

"Blair! Hey! I'm so sorry!" Serena said as she reached over to give her best friend a hug. "I never would have thought that this would happen!"

"I hope the slut gives him herpes!" Iz stammered.

"Cheater would totally deserve herpes..." Kati said in agreement.

_This is ridiculous_, Blair thought. _No point in keeping it a secret anymore._

"He isn't cheating!" Blair shouted at them. "We broke up! Okay?" She was fighting back tears as she finally admitted their breakup out loud. "He was going to get back together with me... but only so my mom would help his dad..." Before the tears fell, she turned to Chuck and spat out "You satisfied?!"

You could cut the tension Blair was emitting with a knife.

"Blair..." Chuck spoke softly as he reached out to comfort her, however she ran off again to be alone before he could do any such thing.

Serena ran after her.

"Blair!" How could she not notice all night how upset Blair was? She felt like the worst friend ever. "Blair, stop! Talk to me, please!"

Blair stopped in her tracks and turned to face Serena, tears running down her cheeks.

"We ended it, S... I wanted to tell you but... but part of me thought that if I didn't say it out loud then it wouldn't be true!" Blair cried. Serena put her arms around her best friend, trying to comfort her as best as she could. "It was my birthday wish for us to get back together! But now... I think it's really over, S..."

"Oh B... I'm so sorry!" Serena held her best friend tight. She felt horrible for her.

"Thanks S... but would you mind... if I just want to be alone for a few minutes?" Blair asked. She appreciated Serena finally noticing her for the first time in what felt like hours, but right now, she just wanted to cry alone in private.

Serena nodded as she let Blair out of her embrace. "Okay, B... if you're sure. I'm here if you need me to talk to, okay?"

"Okay S... just... give me a few minutes."

And with that Blair resigned herself to one of the empty bedrooms, closing the door behind her. Throwing herself down on the bed, she cried until she felt there were no more tears to cry for Nate.

* * *

Pretty soon she heard the door carefully creak open. She pushed herself upright and saw none other than Chuck.

"Chuck..." she sighed, as he gently pushed the door shut, albeit not all the way. "I'm really not in the mood... this is pretty much the worst birthday ever," she sulked.

Chuck strolled over to Blair on the bed and sat down beside her. He really did feel bad for her – while Nate was never the world's best boyfriend to her, no one deserved to be humiliated like she just was on her birthday.

"Maybe... it can be salvaged..." he said, smiling, as he presented her with a black box.

"What's that? Our sex tape?" Blair said sarcastically. "What, do you have cameras installed in the limo?"

Chuck stifled a laugh, as she looked away from him. _She has no idea how much I love her wit_, he thought.

"Just... look," he told her as he opened the box for her.

He noticed she did a double take as she curiously glanced at his gift. Her eyes widened as she realized what it was.

"Oh my god! It's... the Erickson Beamon necklace!" she exclaimed. Suddenly all her sadness seemed to fade away. "Chuck... I couldn't..." she protested. It was too much, coming from him. He didn't need to get that for her. Him just being there as a friend for her regardless of what he was feeling for her in her time of need was more than enough.

"Yes... you can," he told her as he began to place the necklace around her neck.

She turned to look in the mirror hanging on the wall beside the bed. He turned to look as well. It was breath-taking. _They_ were breath-taking.

"Something this beautiful deserves to be seen on someone worthy of its beauty," Chuck said as he gently smoothed the pieces of the necklace into place. "You're beautiful, Blair..." he told her as gently placed his chin on her shoulder, staring into the mirror.

Blair continued to look at them in the mirror also. Chuck was being so sweet and gentle, just like he had been the night before. This was a side of him she wasn't used to seeing.

"I really am sorry, Blair... Nate may be my best friend, but you didn't deserve that."

She nodded in agreement. "Yeah..." she sadly replied, trying to fight back tears.

Chuck gently reached up and stroked her cheek, she shouldn't be crying, especially not at her own party. She reached up and took his hand in hers, noticing just how perfectly her hand fit in his. He noticed it as well. He glanced over at her and locked eyes with her, all while carefully bringing his lips to her shoulder for a gentle kiss. Her skin on his lips tasted amazingly sweet.

He then carefully slid his arms around her waist, holding her securely. She put a hand on top of his.

"Chuck... what's happening between us?" Blair asked, sincerely. As much as she had tried to deny to herself all day that the night before was a mistake... as sweet as he was being with her tonight had her questioning herself once again. However Chuck was the last person she had ever expected to get involved with – he didn't do relationships, let alone girlfriends.

"I don't know Blair," he whispered as he placed another gentle kiss on her shoulder. _Now or never_, he told himself.

"But I did mean what I said earlier about the fluttering... ever since last night, whenever I'm around you I get this rush and that fluttering sensation... and you know me, I've never made an effort towards any girl before in my life – they never stay past breakfast. But with you..." he reached up and turned her chin to face him.

"With you... it's different. I... I really do think I _'like_' like you, Blair. And more than just in a friend-kind of way – I think it's safe to say we've been friends for years... but ever since last night... it just feels so different than anything I've ever known. And as bad as I feel for you when it comes to things between you and Nate... I can't help but be a little relieved that it's really over... we both know he was never as attentive to you as he should have been..."

Looking in Chuck's eyes, Blair couldn't believe how sincere he was being. The Basstard really did mean every word he was saying. And she knew exactly what he was saying – he was always sort of the third wheel in her relationship with Nate, often picking up the pieces when Nate's clueless self failed to do so, much like he had tonight when Serena's clueless self didn't notice at all how miserable she was. It was amazing how similar the bumbling blondes were in certain aspects. Now that he mentioned it, she too was relieved that it was officially over with Nate.

She leaned into him, bringing her lips to his and gave him a gentle kiss. Chuck closed his eyes and savored every second of her kiss before she pulled away, smiling at him as he opened his eyes.

"Blair, if you're up for it... I'd really like to see where this goes," he said to her.

She nodded. "I think it's worth exploring..." she said in agreement. Their lips merged once more, this time a bit more passionate as Blair brought her arms around his neck, running her fingers through his hair like she had the night before. He wrapped his arms around her torso, drawing her close to him as he could.

He wasn't entirely sure what this was he was feeling for Blair or what this meant for them, but he did know for sure that he didn't want it to end anytime soon.

* * *

Serena had left Blair alone in the spare room for a good 15 minutes or so. The party was starting to thin and she could tell Dan was itching to get out of there.

"Let me go check on Blair," Serena told Dan. "We're supposed to be sleeping over together tonight, or so was our story."

As she approached the spare room she noticed the door was open just a crack, like it hadn't been shut tightly. Gently as to not startle Blair, Serena pushed it open just a tad... only she couldn't believe what she was seeing.

_OH. MY. GOD... Blair... AND CHUCK?!_ She thought as she watched her best friend since childhood in a full on make out session with the Upper East Side's Prince of Darkness. _That explains the awkwardness between the two of them earlier tonight... but when did this happen?! Why didn't Blair tell me?_

Pulling the door shut behind her, Serena didn't know what to make of the sight she just witnessed.

* * *

After what felt like forever, Blair finally pulled away from Chuck long enough to catch her breath.

Propping herself up on her elbow, she turned to Chuck who was lying on his back. "You know... we should probably get out of here, go somewhere a little more private just in case things... escalate... anyone could just walk in accidentally..." Blair told him.

"Are you sure?" Chuck asked her once again, like he had the night before when she decided to give herself to him.

Blair nodded. "It is my birthday, after all..."

Chuck looked up and smiled at her. "Alright then, your wish is my command, birthday girl. I'll summon Arthur and we'll go wherever you'd like."

"Why don't you go get our coats and I'll let Serena know I've made other plans for tonight, as our cover story was that we were spending the night at each other's place," Blair informed Chuck as she stood up, making sure she looked acceptable in the mirror.

Chuck nodded, standing behind her. "Meet you out there in 10 minutes or less," he told her, but not before he wrapped his arms around her once more and gave her a longing kiss on the shoulder. He took one last look at them both in the mirror, smiling, before he headed out of the room to fetch their coats. For once in his life, he was genuinely feeling happy about something, and it was something good. It almost didn't seem possible.

Blair smiled at herself in the mirror. What she thought was possibly one of the worst 24 hour periods ever was quickly turning into a much better one. She had no idea what she was doing with Chuck, but like he had said, it was definitely worth finding out what exactly this was that was happening between them. And she'd be lying if she didn't admit that it excited her just a bit.

She quickly found Serena, who seemed a bit flustered as she spoke with Dan.

_What did the Brooklynite do now?_ Blair wondered to herself as she approached the couple.

"S... everything okay?" Blair asked her.

"Uh, Blair!" Serena said, startled at Blair's sudden presence. "Uh no, no... everything's fine... we were just talking about heading out. Are you ready to leave? Where's Chuck?"

"Yeah... about that S... um... Chuck and I are going to stay out for a little bit... he'll make sure I get home okay. You have fun with Dan... and Vanessa," Blair told Serena.

"Ready?" Chuck said quietly as he came up behind Blair, draping her coat around her shoulders.

"Yep, let's go," Blair replied as she turned to leave with him. Serena and Dan both stood there with their jaws wide open. "See you later S... Humphrey."

She no sooner got in the limo with Chuck when her phone went off. Blair grinned when she read the text:

_You are soooo telling me EVERYTHING later this week!_

_ -S_

Chuck couldn't help but grin either when he saw it.

Arthur leaned back from the driver's seat, "Where to, Mr Bass, Miss Waldorf?"

"Well, birthday girl?" Chuck asked as he settled in next to her, his arms around her pulling her close. "Where shall we go for the night?"

Blair looked up at him and grinned a devious smile.

"To the Palace, please, Arthur!" she requested, as she once again wrapped her arms around Chuck's neck, pulling his lips towards hers as they passionately began to kiss, with Chuck slipping his arm away for just a brief second to push the button raising the partition between the driver's cab and the back of the limo.

* * *

_A/N: Well there you have it, Blair ended her 17th birthday with Chuck. Up next – Thanksgiving! (How timely!). Will Blair be able to talk Chuck into sticking around for the holidays for once? How will Serena react when she finally confronts Blair about seeing her with Chuck? And of course Blair will have to face off with her mother when it comes to her father's absence from the holiday get together, not to mention she'll have to face the demons of her past... but fortunately it looks like she won't be doing it alone! If you like this, please leave a comment/review so I know to keep going (I fully intend on finishing it anyway!). Feel free to share any ideas and suggestions as well! Thanks for reading!_


	2. Chapter 2 - Cold Turkey

_AN: Thank you everyone for the reviews! Posting the next chapter in our Chairytale – the Thanksgiving episode redone – a bit earlier than I had originally expected, but I figured why not, as it was done and ready to go... just in time for Thanksgiving! Enjoy and please review if you don't mind! I appreciate it!_

* * *

Blair was in high spirits this morning as it was her absolute favorite holiday – Thanksgiving – and she was looking forward to seeing her father and sharing his traditional Thanksgiving pie. Speaking of pie...

"The recipe!" Blair remembered as she ran down the stairs and into the kitchen. "Ugh... where is it? I have to find it before he gets here..." she said to herself as she started tearing through the kitchen drawers, looking for where the recipes were kept.

"Harold Waldorf's famous pumpkin pie?" Serena inquired as she walked in.

"Well... it may have been Bobby Flay's but it didn't stop my dad from taking credit for it," Blair gushed as she continued her search. "Ah ha! Found it!" she said as she pulled a recipe card out from one of the drawers. "It's going to be perfect!" she exclaimed.

"Look at you!" Serena commented. "You're quite the chipper sous-chef today, B..."

"Well, I'm in a good mood - it happens S..." Blair told her. "Sometimes because I increase my Lexapro, sometimes it's because my dad's in town," she smiled.

"And sometimes, because things are good with a boy..." Serena added. She was just itching to find out what was going on with Blair and Chuck after witnessing them making out at Blair's birthday party the other night. "Did you and Nate get back together?"

"You mean since Gossip Girl published pictures of him and some skank?" Blair spat out. That was definitely not a topic she wanted to visit anytime in the near future, if at all.

"I take it that's a no, then," Serena accepted. "What's Chuck doing today?"

Blair shot Serena a menacing look. "Why are you asking me? How should I know?" Granted she did know what Chuck was doing today – skipping town for the holidays like he did every year – but she wasn't ready to let Serena in on just how close she and Chuck had gotten recently.

"Well, you guys are friends..." Serena pointed out. "And look, B, you know you can tell me anything – I'd be the last person to judge anyone..."

"With good reason," Blair added.

Serena was growing impatient. "B – I saw you with Chuck the other night, at the party, before you two ran out on us all..."

_Crap... she already knows... So much for privacy, guess we should have snuck out of the party earlier..._

"Look, S..." Blair began. "I don't know what I was thinking and what exactly is happening between Chuck and I... I mean, sleeping with him the first night... at first I thought it was a huge, but understandable mistake, but then the next night..."

"WAIT! HOLD UP! YOU SLEPT WITH HIM MULTIPLE TIMES?!" Serena gasped, putting her hand over her mouth.

"Shhhhh! S! Lower your voice... not everyone needs to know!" Blair reminded her.

"But Blair!" Serena exclaimed.

"What happened to no judging, S?" Blair demanded.

"I'm not... but... I thought you wanted to wait? I thought you had wanted it to be special..." Serena was in complete shock at Blair's reveal. She had only seen them making out – she had no idea that they were actually sleeping together. "Please tell me you didn't sleep with Chuck just to get back at Nate... you know he doesn't need that right now, what with all his family drama going on..."

"No, S... that's not why I slept with Chuck," she snapped at her. "Honestly, I don't really know why I did it... it just kind of happened," she admitted.

While her and Chuck did spend the early morning hours of her birthday together in his suite – she had done nothing but attack him with her lips ever since they got in his limo and they both continued the assault the entire way up to his suite and into his room. They didn't really get to do as much talking as they both knew they needed to. By the time they had exhausted each other, Blair soon fell asleep in Chuck's arms. And when they woke up hours later, she had hoped they would get to talk some, however they slept too late and Blair needed to hurry home to meet her mother for her birthday brunch.

The memory of their night together brought a smile to her face.

"So that's it, then, right B?" Serena asked her, drawing her back into reality. "You slept with him several times, got it out of your system and that's it?"

"Honestly, I don't know S..."

"Blair, this is Chuck we're talking about here – he doesn't 'do' relationships," Serena reminded her. "The fact he slept with you multiple times... you know that's gotta be a first for him. If you're not using him to get back at Nate, are you sure he's not using you?"

Blair hadn't really thought about that, however Chuck was being way too sweet and gentle with her to have some vendetta against Nate that involved using her. She knew Nate was one of the few things in this world that Chuck actually cared about and they both knew that if Nate found out about what they had done it would be a huge blow to their friendship.

"I don't think he would do that to Nate, S... besides, he's been nothing but a complete gentleman with me," Blair confessed.

"B... are we talking about the same Chuck here?" Serena asked. "About yeh-tall, dark hair, dark eyes, souless, heartless, manwhore we've known since childhood and wears a plaid scarf everywhere?"

"He has a heart, S..." Blair corrected her. "He just doesn't often let it show."

Serena rolled her eyes. She couldn't believe what she was hearing.

Just then Blair's mother waltzed in.

"Serena dear, glad to see you made it!" Eleanor greeted her. "When is your mother arriving?"

"Actually, Eleanor... I just came to let you both know my mother and I won't be joining you for Thanksgiving this year," Serena informed the Waldorf women.

"What? But S... it's tradition!" Blair reminded her.

"I know B, but Dan invited me to spend Thanksgiving with his family this year – his mother just recently came back and he'd like for me to meet her – plus, Eric and his sister Jenny are sorta friends..."

"And your mother, dear?" Eleanor interrupted. "What are her plans then? Surely she wouldn't dare to have dinner in Brooklyn!"

"No, no Eleanor," Serena assured her with a laugh. Somehow Serena couldn't see her mother being caught dead in Brooklyn. "She decided to fly out to Chicago and surprise Bart by spending the holiday with him."

"Oh that's right! I forgot she's seeing Bart Bass these days," Eleanor recalled. "Sounds like they're getting quite serious... perhaps he might become husband number... five? Six?" she inquired.

"Four, Eleanor. Four." Serena said matter of factly. "My mother's only actually been married 3 times so far."

"Right dear, my apologies," Eleanor told her.

"It's alright – just an honest mistake that anyone could have made, all things considered," Serena assured her.

She had to admit though, the number of husbands and live in boyfriends her mother had had over the years was a bit embarrassing. And she couldn't blame Eleanor – some of the live in boyfriends might as well have been husbands as they seemed to last longer than her last two marriages.

"Well, perhaps maybe Bart will be the real deal this time – I can't recall him really being this serious about anyone since... well... you know, since Evelyn passed away all those years ago and he was in it with her for the long haul." Eleanor remarked.

"Perhaps." Serena responded. She noticed the time. "Well, I really ought to get going – I told Dan I'd bring a dessert and I need to swing by home and pick up Eric. Nice seeing you Eleanor, happy Thanksgiving! And B..." she turned to her best friend. "Just make sure you're being careful," she warned.

Blair rolled her eyes as she watched Serena leave.

"So, mother..." Blair turned to Eleanor. "When does daddy arrive? I found the recipe for his pumpkin pie!" She waved the recipe card in the air for her mother to see.

"What?" Eleanor was taken aback. "Blair, I thought you knew..."

"Knew what, mother?" Blair asked with a suspicious tone. She had a feeling she wasn't going to like what her mother said next.

"Your father isn't coming." Eleanor said, as if it was everyday news. "He didn't tell you? He decided to stay in Paris this year. Something about having too much work... or was it Roman is too much work? Who knows, I don't remember... regardless, he isn't coming."

Blair's heart sunk, she couldn't believe it.

"But I... I don't understand... if he wasn't coming then why wouldn't he just call and tell me himself?" she wondered.

"Darling, dear... you should know by now that your father isn't a fan of the difficult thing known as conversation," Eleanor was growing tired of this conversation. "Why don't you run along now and change into something a little more... enchanting?"

Blair sighed. "Yes, mother..." she hissed. There was always something her mother was nit-picking about with her. Blair had grown accustomed to it.

But right now, she was most livid with her father for being such a coward. She stormed upstairs to her room and began venting to Dorota while she changed.

"How could he just blow me off like that?! Thanksgiving is our ritual!" Blair ranted. "You know he didn't even call?! How hard is it to pick up the phone?!" She was tearing through her closet trying to find something to wear as Dorota was diving to catch all the clothes and shoes that were being tossed every which way around the room.

"Maybe..." Dorota started, "Ms Blair, you pick up phone and call your papa. Maybe he will tell you real story..."

Much to Dorota's relief, Blair stopped dead in her tracks and responded "Real story? Dorota... what do you know?"

"Just call, Ms Blair," the maid urged her.

Blair fetched her phone from under a pile of clothes Dorota had placed on the bed while Blair was ripping through the closet moments ago.

"Daddy?" Blair asked sweetly. "Mother just informed me you won't be joining us for Thanksgiving this year... why is that?"

"Blair-Bear... I wanted to, I really did... but your mother told me how upset you still were with me about everything that had happened... she said you didn't want to see me and that it would be best if I stayed away this year," her father confessed.

"SHE SAID WHAT?!" Blair screamed. _Oh, Eleanor is going to get it!_ She thought. "I said no such thing! I've been looking forward to seeing you all week!"

"Looks like Eleanor strikes again..." Harold said sadly. "I'm so sorry, sweetie... I should have known it was your mother and not you... I just wished she hadn't put you in the middle of it this time..."

"It's okay daddy... I completely understand. And I'm sorry for thinking you would blow me off like that."

"Blair-Bear, I promise I'll make it up to you... in fact... I did send over one of my pies, specifically just for you, if that's any sort of condolence for my absence..." he informed her.

"Awww, thank you daddy! I appreciate it more than you know!" Her father's words and gesture calmed her down a little bit but she was still furious with her mother for what she had done.

"Sweetie, as much I'd love to continue chatting with you, I really must be going, and I'm sure you have things that need attending to this afternoon as well..."

"Okay, daddy..." Blair conceded. "I love you!"

"I love you too, Blair-Bear," he told her. "And please, don't be too hard on your mother... she's obviously still hurting."

Blair rolled her eyes. "I'll try not to," she lied. Eleanor was definitely going to get it from her later today. How dare she use her in her vendetta against her father.

They said their goodbyes and Blair fell into bed, laying on her back. She needed a friend right now.

She tried calling Serena but there was no answer. She was probably too absorbed with Dan and his family, assuming she hadn't contracted something in Brooklyn or gotten mugged on the way over there.

She thought about calling Nate but then decided against it. He had enough going on with his own family - her family drama seemed petty compared to his. Plus, things with Nate right now were just awkward.

_Chuck..._ she thought. She picked her phone up and quickly dialed his number.

"To what do I owe the pleasure, Waldorf?" Chuck responded as he took her call.

"My parents actually..." Blair informed him. "Apparently my mother decided to use me as her scapegoat to keep my father in Paris for the holiday," Blair sighed.

He could hear the sadness and hurt in her voice. "I'm sorry, Blair..." He told her sincerely. "You know... I could see about sending the Bass jet to go fetch him for you," Chuck suggested. For some odd reason he felt very protective of Blair lately, wanting to do whatever he could to cheer her up and ensure that nothing could hurt her. He continued, "granted he probably wouldn't arrive until tomorrow at this point, but still..."

"No Chuck... that's very kind and sweet of you, but you don't have to do that..." she told him. "Besides, according to Serena her mother is flying out to surprise your dad in Chicago so I bet she's already taken the jet."

"Well then, what can I do Blair?"

"Where are you right now?" She asked him.

"I'm actually at the helipad, waiting for the helicopter to arrive to take me to the jet. I was thinking of going to Vegas for the long weekend," he revealed.

"Vegas? By yourself? But it's Thanksgiving... you're not in Chicago with your father?"

"Blair, my father and I don't 'do' holidays," he told her. "We never have. Bart's never been big on family so we usually do our own thing for holidays like this – he works, I get drunk somewhere fun. I thought you, Serena and Nate knew that."

Blair was a little ashamed of her assumption as she had never really thought about it before. Serena had her family, Nate had his, she had her mother... Chuck just had Bart, who when you thought about it, really wasn't much in the way of family to him, despite being his only parent. Chuck didn't even live with him the majority of the time, as he had his own suite in his father's hotel.

"Chuck, I have an idea... instead of running off to Vegas and getting drunk with showgirls – as appealing as I'm sure that is to you - why don't you spend Thanksgiving here this year... with me?" she hoped she wasn't being too bold.

"What? Why?" he asked.

"Well, why not? You asked what you could do for me and that's it. Spend Thanksgiving here - with me."

"But Vegas sounds more fun than having to shoot the shit with Eleanor and her associates..." Chuck pointed out.

"True... but there's one thing you can have here that you can't get in Vegas this weekend," Blair lured him.

"And what's that, Waldorf?" Chuck asked curiously.

"Me, of course!" She flirted. "C'mon, Chuck... I promise I'll make it worth your while if you stay."

While she still had no idea what exactly to call what they had going on between them, she knew that she really wanted him there. She really didn't want to deal with Eleanor today and having Chuck around would be a nice distraction after dinner.

"That is quite a tempting offer, Blair... especially as you know how much I can't resist you these days."

His mind wandered off to the memories of their previous few nights together. He had more one night stands with more women that he could even begin to count, yet for some reason, Blair was the exception as no matter what he did or told himself he just could not get enough of her. And he was starting to get the impression that the feeling was mutual. As much as he loved just spending time with her, he knew sooner or later they were going to have to talk about what was going on between them.

"Well, Chuck... if you can make it over here within the hour I promise I'm all yours tonight," Blair teased him, grinning at how innocently naughty she was becoming.

"Save me a seat at the dinner table, I'll be there in 20," Chuck told her as he hung up to hail a cab. He wished he hadn't dismissed Arthur for the day until after he had gotten on the plane.

* * *

True to his word, Chuck had arrived at the Waldorf penthouse in 20 minutes flat and with a small bouquet of yellow peonies to boot.

"Chuck... you shouldn't have!" Blair exclaimed, smiling as she accepted the flowers from him. She gave him a friendly embrace and a soft kiss on the cheek.

"Just wanted to see you smile, Waldorf," he told her. He really didn't like it when she was upset. He could only imagine the bomb that was destined to go off when she finally dealt with her mother for her actions today.

"Charles Bass?" Eleanor questioned, raising an eyebrow as she walked past Chuck and Blair in the foyer on her way to check on the caterers.

"Hello, Mrs Waldorf," Chuck greeted her, offering a polite handshake.

Eleanor shook his hand, despite still being in surprise at the young man standing in her foyer. "What brings you here today? Are you alone? Or is Nate joining us today as well, Blair?" she asked.

"No mother, just Chuck is joining us – Nate and I broke up, remember? That would be awkward," Blair reminded her.

"Yes, I suppose that would be..." Eleanor agreed. "Um, Charles... may I please have a word with my daughter?"

"Of course, Mrs Waldorf," Chuck excused himself and sat down in the sitting room.

He noticed the stunning grand piano set up in the center of the room. It was known by very few what a great pianist Chuck actually was. Unfortunately, he didn't get to play nearly as much as he would like, living in a hotel and all. While Bart had insisted he learn to play as a child, he refused to listen to his son play as apparently his deceased mother was quite the pianist herself.

"Blair dear... what is Charles Bass doing here?" Eleanor quietly questioned her daughter.

"Joining us for Thanksgiving, mother," Blair hissed back at her. "Daddy's not here, Serena has other plans... I didn't think it would be an issue..."

"He has quite the reputation, I hear... You're not seeing him, are you?" Eleanor blurted out.

"Mother! No... and what if I was? He's been a very good friend to me lately and I've known him just as long as I've known Nate." Just then they both heard beautiful music coming from the piano in the sitting room. Blair smiled, knowing it was most likely Chuck. "Besides, mother, he was all by himself this Thanksgiving and I felt like I should be polite and invite him over," Blair informed her.

Eleanor sighed. "Fine, I'll go tell the caterers to set another place at the table."

Blair quietly leaned against the entryway of the sitting room and watched Chuck grace the piano with his skilled fingers. She smiled to herself. Her father was the only one that ever played the thing. Since he left, it had merely been just another decoration in the room. She was glad someone was finally playing it again.

"Chuck, that was beautiful!" Blair complimented him when he had finished playing his piece.

"Thanks... I enjoy playing, it just seems I rarely ever get the opportunity to anymore," he responded.

"Well you're more than welcome to play here – my father was the pianist in the house... ever since he left, it's hardly been touched," she informed him. "When did you learn how to play?" she asked, sitting down next to him on the piano bench.

"My mother..." Chuck paused. "From what I was always told, she was quite the pianist herself and would also talk about how excited she was to teach her children how to play..." he had taken on a solemn tone, staring straight ahead, at nothing. "Out of respect to her, Bart had me taking lessons all throughout my childhood."

"Wow..." Blair said, in awe. "Your father must enjoy hearing..."

"No," Chuck quickly interrupted. "He refuses to listen to me play. Always has. Says it reminds him too much of her... just one more reason for him to detest me, only this one was of his own doing," Chuck sighed.

"What do you mean?" Blair inquired. _How could anyone hate their own child? _She thought.

"I have her eyes, Blair," he confessed to her. "As well as her hair color. I guess I inherited too many similar attributes of her that it constantly reminds Bart that instead of having her around, he got stuck with me instead."

"Chuck..., I'm so sorry..." Blair said, putting a hand on his shoulder to comfort him. She didn't understand. Sure, Bart had lost his wife, but clearly she had passed on parts of herself to her son. Any normal person would be thrilled that part of their loved one lived on in their child. "You can't honestly believe he blames you..."

"But he does," he replied. "But Blair... it's okay, I've accepted it and I deal." He told her. Then he turned to face her. "Can we please not talk about this anymore right now?" he requested. His eyes were glazed over with sadness, however he refused to cry about it. He had stopped crying over the matter years ago and filled the emptiness with booze, drugs and loose women instead.

Blair nodded, as she understood to some extent. She reached over to give him a hug and gently rubbed her hand on his back in a comforting manner. She knew things were rough between him and his father and that they had never particularly been close, but she had no idea just how distant father and son really were.

In turn, Chuck put his arms around her, resting his head on her shoulder. He let out a deep sigh. It was a rough and painful subject for him, however he did admit that he found Blair's presence soothing.

Just then Dorota popped her head in. "Ms. Blair, Mr. Chuck – Ms. Eleanor say dinner is ready now," she told them.

* * *

While the meal prepared by the caterers was exquisite, sitting next to Blair among all of Eleanor's business associates Chuck couldn't help but notice she had hardly touched her food. She let out a deep sigh as she pushed her food around her plate with her fork, lost in her own thoughts. He reached under the table and gently squeezed her knee, attempting to draw her back into reality. It must have worked as Blair then looked up and over at him, giving him a shy smile. She then reached under and gave his hand a gentle squeeze back. He smiled back at her, gazing into her brown eyes as she gazed into his.

He was glad he had canceled his trip to Vegas and was instead spending the holiday with her.

Then Eleanor interrupted their moment. "Blair..." she started. "You haven't touched your food. Come on, Darling – what has gotten into you?"

Blair sighed and Chuck noticed she rolled her eyes before turning to her mother. "Well, mother... I was going to wait until after dinner, but I guess now is as good a time as any... Did you call daddy and say that I didn't want to see him this Thanksgiving?" she said bluntly.

"Of course not, dear," Eleanor said as took another bite of her food before continuing. "What a ridiculous accusation."

"So you didn't tell him that I was so angry at him for leaving that I didn't even want to talk to him today?" Blair went on. "You had no right to uninvite him."

Chuck had a bad feeling about where this conversation was going.

"When are you going to get it through your head – he left us!" Eleanor exclaimed.

"No, he didn't leave _us_ – he left _you_!" Blair fought back.

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" her mother snapped. She then regained her composure and lowered her voice. "If you want to take this up with me, we can discuss this later after our guests have left. Right now, you either eat or you leave the table."

Chuck's gut was telling him this wasn't going to end well.

"I told you, I'm NOT hungry!" snapped Blair.

"Well maybe dessert will change your mind," Eleanor suggested, looking around at her guests, hoping they all weren't watching the exchange.

Blair looked around at the desserts before frantically asking "Where's daddy's pie? I don't see his pumpkin pie!"

Eleanor paused, deciding on what to say next. "Well... there were so many delicious choices coming from the caterer that we just decided to send that one down to the doorman – it is Thanksgiving after all..." She turned to face Blair, who had a furious look of rage in her eyes. "Choose one of those amazing desserts," she hissed at her daughter.

Blair stared her mother down for a few more seconds before standing up in a huff. Chuck went to reach for her hand in an attempt to calm her down but she shook his hand away. She then grabbed the largest pie she could find on the dessert tray and stormed off with it into the kitchen.

_HOW DARE SHE!_ She screamed in her head. _HOW COULD SHE!_

She slammed the dessert down on a counter in the kitchen. One by one the help quickly exited the room - Dorota being the last to leave and only because Blair had given her The Look. Blair was breathing heavily as she leaned over the pie, both hands on the counter supporting herself. The rage inside her was overwhelming. The tears built up in her eyes. When she was sure everyone was gone she reached for a nearby fork.

She no sooner had the utensil in her grasp when she felt him grab her wrist, preventing her from lifting it.

"Don't." Chuck told her. "Please, Blair... don't do this."

She was so upset she hadn't even heard him enter the room. She lifted her head and turned to face him. Looking into his begging eyes she could see herself reflected in them and all her rage began to fade away. He let go of her wrist and she let go of the fork. The tears slowly began to fall.

_What am I doing?_ She thought to herself as she wiped away the first of the tears that were shed.

"Chuck..." She couldn't finish her thought as the tears began to pour. She felt him pull her into his arms as she buried her face into his chest, letting it all out.

"Blair, it's gonna be alright," he assured her as he kissed the top of her chestnut curls. He gently stroked her hair with one hand while the other was securely holding her back.

"My mother... she just decides everything," Blair sobbed. "Like everything in the world is just totally up to her, you know?"

"Yeah..." Chuck nodded. He hated seeing her like this.

"Do you... do you want to get out of here?" He asked her.

He felt her gently nod her head against his chest. "Okay, I'll go get our coats," he told her as he slid his arms down from around her, taking both her hands in his. "Wait here."

He then looked her in the eyes before leaning forward, giving her a gentle kiss on the forward before going to retrieve their coats.

Yeah, he was definitely glad he had canceled Vegas.

He desperately tried to push the thought away of what could have happened if he hadn't followed her into the kitchen. He knew Blair and her mother had issues but until now he never really understood the extent of it.

_She must have known about Blair's issue... what kind of parent pushes their daughter to resort to it? It was almost as if she was daring her to do it!_ He thought as he wandered around to where he thought the maid had put his coat.

Thankfully, he ran into her mere seconds later.

"Dorota, if you don't mind, could you please bring me mine and Blair's coats – I need to get her out of here. Immediately." he explained. She saw how serious Mr. Chuck was and remembering how Ms. Blair had stormed into the kitchen with that pie, she understood his reasoning.

Without a second thought, Dorota nodded and quickly went to get the coats. She returned just a few moments later with the wool jacket Chuck had been wearing earlier as well as a heavy brownish shawl that matched Blair's dress and a small clutch of hers. He promptly threw on his jacket.

"Thank you," Chuck whispered to her as he quickly took Blair's shawl and retreated to the kitchen. He hoped Blair was calming down some more, however he feared the worst, that maybe perhaps she had decided to indulge herself in the pie anyway.

He was relieved when he entered to see her sitting on a kitchen stool by the counter, even if she was just staring ahead, lost in whatever thoughts she was having.

"Here," he said, drawing her back into reality. He gently helped her with her shawl.

Taking her by the hand, he led her out of the kitchen and to the elevator where they waited to leave. Her mother was so engrossed in conversation with her associates that she didn't even notice or hear them leaving.

The elevator arrived in a matter of moments.

As soon as the doors were closed, Blair threw herself into Chuck's arms and held onto him tightly. He wrapped his arms around her once more. He sighed as he felt Blair stifle a few sobs.

While it only lasted maybe thirty seconds, to Chuck it felt like a lifetime. And he loved every second of it.

"Thank you," Blair told him as she pulled away when the elevator doors opened.

"You're welcome," he said as he felt her take his hand and lead him outside.

* * *

Since Chuck had dismissed Arthur earlier this afternoon, they decided to walk, hand in hand. Blair had suggested going to Central Park to visit the ducks and since she was the one needing cheered up today, Chuck happily obliged.

After purchasing some bread from a park vendor, Blair found a nice spot near the duck pond and sat down. Chuck stood back for a moment, taking in the sight of her sitting there, tossing the bread to the ducks in the pond. She was beautiful, and just like him, she was broken too.

Blair realized Chuck was still off in the distance. Looking around, she smiled at him when she spotted him watching her and motioned for him to come join her. He hesitated at first, not wanting to get his suit messed up by the grass and potential dirt and mud. But then he figured if Blair Waldorf of all people wasn't afraid to sit in the grass near the pond in her designer dress, then he could sit down too.

"About what almost happened in the kitchen..." Blair started.

"I know," Chuck interrupted.

"You... you know?" Blair asked, curiously. She thought only her parents and Serena knew. Although Nate had known too, despite acting oblivious to it - perhaps he told Chuck?

"Yeah... I have for awhile," he admitted, as he watched the ducks. "Honestly, it wasn't hard to figure out something was going on with you... and then when you put two and two together..."

"Oh..."

"How long has it been going on?" Chuck inquired.

"Almost a year," she confessed. "It started after my dad left my mother. She had gotten harder and harder on me, comparing me to her stupid models... with my dad on the other side of the world and Serena gone... I didn't know how to deal with it."

"What about Nate?" Chuck asked.

"What about him? You know how he is... he'd rather pretend problems didn't exist rather than deal with them head on. He didn't care to hear it."

Chuck nodded. He knew exactly what she meant. Even though Nate was his best friend from as long as he could remember, he never really felt like he could talk to him about his own problems.

"He was a nice distraction most days," Blair continued, "but then there were times... it wasn't enough."

"I'm sorry, Blair. I should have been a better friend." Chuck confessed.

"It's alright," Blair told him. "We weren't exactly close, and I realize you probably had your own problems with your father going on too..."

"But still – I knew something wasn't right with you, despite what Nate said, and I didn't do anything to help..."

"Chuck, it's okay," she assured him as she reached over and gave his hand a gentle squeeze before turning to him. "You're here now."

He brought her hand to his lips, giving it a gentle kiss as he stared into her eyes. He saw a smile form on those dainty lips of hers as her cheeks began to blush. He then spun her around and into his arms, leaning down to kiss those lips. She reached up and ran her hand through his dark hair, kissing him back.

They stayed like that for a few moments before Blair pulled back.

"Besides, I got help..." she said quietly. "Despite an occasional relapse like today..." Sitting up, she leaned her back against his chest, pulling his arms around her as she continued. "Can you please remind me tomorrow to call and make an appointment? The doctor had told me before that if anything like that happens I should at least come in and discuss it. I guess that's supposed to help... or something..."

She felt Chuck nod his head as he sat his chin on her shoulder. "Of course," he responded.

They sat there together, watching the ducks for a little while longer before Chuck suggested they head back.

After they stood up, she turned to him and asked "Chuck... do you mind if I stay with you tonight?" she looked him in the eyes, hoping he would say yes. "I'm not ready to deal with Eleanor yet and I really don't feel like being alone tonight."

A smile came across his face. "I would love nothing more, Waldorf," he said as he took her hand in his and they walked hand in hand out of the park.

* * *

When they got back to his suite, Chuck decided to order up some dinner for them as neither had eaten much at Blair's and they were both starving. They had their own private Thanksgiving dinner together, complete with pumpkin pie (although Blair said it wasn't nearly as good as her father's and promised Chuck she'd have to make it for him someday). Blair had come across Breakfast at Tiffany's on the hotel's classic movie selection and insisted they watch it after they had finished their feast.

Chuck knew it was her favorite so he agreed as she snuggled up against him, in his bed with him. He had slid his arm around her as the movie started and they settled in, however Holly Golightly had barely gotten rid of Doc when Chuck noticed Blair was fast asleep. He watched her sleep for a bit. She looked so peaceful right then, asleep in his arms, compared to earlier that afternoon when she was seething with rage. Just laying there with her, watching over her, he felt his heart beating quicker than usual.

They still had yet to discuss what exactly was happening between them – while they didn't have a label for it and Chuck wasn't one to quickly claim someone as his girlfriend, they were definitely more than just friends at this point. He knew they would have to discuss it soon, before Nate or anyone else found out.

He was experiencing a feeling for her he had never felt towards anyone else before. And the more he thought about it, the more he realized that she was also now the only girl to join him in his bed and just sleep. If any other woman had fallen asleep on him like that he would have been thoroughly annoyed, but not with her – he didn't mind. In fact, he actually kind of liked it.

He smiled to himself as he settled more into a comfortable position. He carefully reached over and removed her headband, placing it on the bedside table. He then gently drew her closer to him and into his arms. He felt her shift her head more onto his chest as she subconsciously placed her hand on him. He kissed the top of her head and before he knew it, he too was drifting off to sleep to the melody of "Moon River" and the warmth of Blair wrapped beside him.

For yet another time this week, he didn't feel lonely.

* * *

_A/N – Hope you enjoyed all the sweet fluff scenes between Chuck and Blair! The next chapter – Cotillion – is already in the works, although as I mentioned before, I do work retail management so as you can imagine, I'm coming up on the busiest week/weekend of the year. That said, please don't expect the next installment til at least after next weekend (although who knows, I might be able to squeeze it out before Thanksgiving, but I make no guarantees – after next weekend is more likely). Thanks for reading and Happy Thanksgiving if you celebrate it!_


	3. Chapter 3 - The Cotillion Curveball

_A/N Thank you everyone who has commented so far and to those who have followed and/or favored! I really appreciate the feedback for this - it's encourage! As I mentioned previously, this has been one crazy weekend for me, work-wise and I still have 2 more days to go til I get a few days off. Not sure how soon the next chapter will be up as Christmas comes after Cotillion and Chuck and Nate weren't really in that episode as it was mostly just B struggling to accept her dad's partner Roman... I have a few ideas on how to work Chuck into it and make Chair's 1st Christmas together special, but I am DEFINITELY open to ideas/suggestions from you guys as I haven't even had a chance to start that one yet (however I have typed up bits and pieces of chapters from the later/episodes seasons which I am really excited about, yet I don't want to rush through these early parts either)._

_But for now – enjoy Cotillion!_

* * *

"You know S, I'm actually kind of glad to be going to Cotillion with Prince Theodore and not Nate – ever since we broke up, the more complicated I realize we were together..." Blair declared as her and Serena walked along the sidewalk to the Cotillion dance rehearsal. "It was always so tedious and tortured... us girls want Romeo, not Hamlet!"

"But Romeo died," Serena reminded her.

"Yeah, but S, he died for something passionate and something passionate is what I want!" Blair admitted. She smiled to herself as she thought of Chuck. Things between them were definitely passionate.

"I can just see you on the cover of Hello! Magazine, B, talking about passionate romance and a prince..." Serena gushed.

"Or how about the New York Times, S! They chose me for their "A Night Out With..." feature!" Blair exclaimed. "And I'm sure to give them one of the most perfect nights out of the year! I can't believe your not going S... isn't your mother throwing a fit? She inquired.

"Yeah, well... ever since I discovered that my mother was a groupie of my boyfriend's father..."

"Ewww, S! That's just gross!"

"Oh I know, especially when said out loud!" Serena agreed. "But ever since, well... she doesn't really have a leg to stand on."

"Well you're here now." Blair pointed out as they rounded the corner and approached the door to the dance studio.

"Yeah, but only to meet my grandmother, B. Nothing more than that." Serena informed her as they entered.

* * *

"Hey so... have you heard anything about who's accompanying Blair to this thing? Nate asked Chuck as they strolled down the street together.

"Why? You having unfulfilled fantasies about your ex?" Chuck joked. He wished Nate would just get over her already, it would make it so much easier when the news about them was eventually broken to him.

"What? No!" Nate exclaimed in surprised that Chuck would mention that.

"Don't fuck with a fucker, man – I know that look," Chuck told him. Conversations with Nate these days were really beginning to wear on him, especially since the conversation always seemed to get on the subject of Blair.

"No man, it's just...she seems different these days – lighter, happier... she has this kind of glow on her face..." Nate told him. "With my father in rehab, the pressure's off me now and it's like I can see her more clearly and I don't know... I think I miss her," Nate blurted out.

Chuck stopped in his tracks. "You do NOT miss her, man," he tried to assure Nate. "Maybe you miss the idea of her, especially now that it seems like she's moved on, but I'm sure you don't actually miss her."

He tried to mask his jealousy as they approached Prescott's. Even though him and Blair had yet to put a label on whatever it was they had going on together, because of her he was currently the happiest he could ever recall being and the last thing he needed was for Nate to try and win her back, ending whatever they could have before anything really ever got started.

* * *

Blair fully engaged herself in dance rehearsal that afternoon. Unfortunately, one of the main dances being a group dance, she did find herself having to briefly dance with Nate a few times, which she found to be a bit awkward.

"Hi Blair," he said softly to her when it was their turn to dance together.

"Nate," she replied cordially.

"Blair... who's escorting you to this thing?" he bluntly asked.

"Not that it's any of your concern, but my mother set me up with Prince Theodore – Waldorf Designs recently did some garments for his family and so when my mother found out I didn't have an escort she was quick to arrange one of me," she informed him.

"Oh..." Nate said sadly. "Look Blair, maybe we should talk..."

"And switch!" the dance instructor announced.

Blair was relieved. Talking to Nate was one of the the last things she wanted to do. Sadly, going with the Prince hadn't been her idea – she would have much rather gone with Chuck, however before she even had a chance to discuss it with him, her mother had announced that she had made arrangements for her. Blair sighed at the thought. Things had been going so well with them the past few weeks, even though they were keeping their... whatever it was... a secret from everyone.

She couldn't help but smile when she eventually switched partners for the umpteenth time and landed into his arms.

"Why hello, Waldorf," he whispered into her ear. "I was starting to wonder when I'd get my turn with you." He grinned.

"I was thinking the same thing," she admitted with a seductive look in her eye. "What do you say we meet at my place afterwards and have our own private rehearsal?" she suggested. "Think you can ditch Nate?"

"Shouldn't be a problem," he responded with his trademark smirk on his face. "I look forward to it," he told her just as the dance instructor once again said "Switch!"

* * *

The rest of the rehearsal seemed to drag on but finally it was time to leave. Serena was absorbed with Dan so Blair took that as her chance to sneak out unnoticed.

Chuck lost sight of Blair when the rehearsal was over. He figured she must have headed on home to prepare for their afternoon rendezvous so he decided to set out to meet her. He no sooner rounded the corner outside the entrance and took a few steps down the block when he felt her grab hold of his signature scarf with both hands and pull him into a half hidden alcove. Before he could even realize what was going on he felt her lips press up against his. He immediately wrapped his arms around her, sliding one arm into her coat, around her waist and pulling her closer to him as he felt her hands in his hair and a leg wrapping around his thigh.

"Mmm" he muttered in between kisses. "What happened to meeting at your place?" he asked.

"I couldn't wait that long to have contact with you again – ohhh!" she squealed as she threw her head backwards as he kissed the nape of her neck. "That dance was nothing but a tease," she sighed.

"That it was..." he breathed as he slid his hand up the thigh wrapped around his own.

* * *

Nate was left all alone after rehearsal. He had hoped to get a chance to talk with Blair afterwards but he had no idea where she had disappeared to. Perhaps Chuck could give him a lift over to her penthouse on their way home.

_But where did Chuck disappear to?_ Nate wondered.

As he made his way outside, thinking maybe Chuck was waiting for him in the limo, he spied his best friend a little ways down the block, up against the wall. It appeared he was heavy into making out with some girl that Nate couldn't get a good look at.

Nate shook his head in disbelief. _How DOES he do it?_

Secretly, he was jealous of Chuck's ability to randomly hookup with any girl, anywhere. He figured Chuck was probably going to be awhile and might even need to use the limo so he decided to start walking to Blair's instead.

He completely missed Chuck and Blair a few moments later as they ran behind him, hand in hand, practically diving into the limo to continue their tryst in the warmth of the vehicle and at her home.

* * *

"You looked pretty hot on Prince Theodore's arm today," Chuck told Blair between kisses as they tumbled around on her bed.

"Is that all I am to you, Bass? An accessory?" she teased as she playfully tugged on his hair.

"On him – yessss," he growled as he felt her playfully bite into his earlobe. "On me though... you'd be so much more," he grinned as leaned forward to kiss her.

"Chuck..." Blair purred. "Are you really escorting Kati to the ball?" she asked.

"Believe me, Blair... mmmmhh... it wasn't my first choice," he admitted. "If anything, it was a last resort and an arrangement that came about only because her father's recently done business with my father. I can assure you, she won't be 'getting lucky' afterwards," he grinned as he continued his assault on her neck with his lips.

They both jolted up when they heard the elevator ding. Her mother was wasn't supposed to be back until tomorrow evening.

"Ms. Blair! Mr. Nate is here to see you!" they heard Dorota call.

"Shit..." Chuck hissed as he fell backwards into the bed. Blair sighed.

"Wait right here," she said as she leaned down on top of him, giving him one more passionate kiss before getting up. "I'll get rid of him."

"Make it quick..." Chuck requested. She smiled at him laying there as she exited to the hallway.

"What are you doing here, Nate?" Blair barked at him. To say she was mildly irritated at him interrupting her time with Chuck was putting it lightly.

"It's just... I..." Nate was at a loss for words at just the sight of her. "I... after rehearsal... I just couldn't stop thinking about you." He explained, "This ball is something we've talked about doing together since we were, what? 10 years old? I know I've given you every reason to hate me..."

"That's true... keep going," Blair demanded.

Chuck had wondered out into the upstairs hallway and could hear what was being said. He couldn't help but grin at hearing Blair put Nate through the ringer. He knew no one – not even Nate – could mess with Waldorf and escaped her fury.

"The Prince... you know, he's a great dancer and all..." Nate paused. "But is there any chance you'd go with me instead? For old times sake?"

Blair had expected that Nate would come around asking her sooner or later – frankly she was surprised he hadn't earlier at the rehearsal. But the truth was, she had moved on. And while the Prince wasn't her ideal choice of escort for the ball, she definitely did not want to go with Nate anymore – for old times or not.

"Look Nate, I know we may have made all these plans and whatnot in the past... but things between us are over. I've moved on," she informed him.

"With the Prince?" Nate questioned.

"No, not with the Prince... that was just something my mother setup last minute," she snapped before continuing. "But even if I wasn't going with the Prince, there's only one other person I would really care to go with... and I'm sorry Nate, but that someone is not you." Blair turned around and proceeded to make her way back upstairs to Chuck.

"But Blair..." Nate protested as he reached for her hand to stop her from walking away from him.

"Look Nate, I was actually kind of in the middle of something when you showed up unannounced and I'd very much like to get back to it if you don't mind." She informed him as she pulled her hand out of his grasp.

"Fine," Nate stated as he turned to walk towards the elevator.

As Blair turned again to ascend the staircase she looked up and noticed Chuck standing at the top, smiling down at her. She smiled back at him as she raced up the stairs towards him, into his arms and pushed him backwards into her room across the hall, slamming the door shut behind them.

* * *

As Nate waited for the elevator, he watched Blair race up the stairs with her sexy red tights. They looked awfully familiar, almost like a pair he had seen wrapped around Chuck outside of rehearsal just a little bit ago... But before he could put two and two together he heard Blair slam her bedroom door shut.

_I really must have upset her_, he thought to himself as the elevator arrived.

* * *

"Blair... did you really mean it?" Chuck asked Blair, laying on the bed beside her, nearly out of breath after they had exhausted each other.

"Mean what?" she inquired, still trying to catch her breath after her passionate go with Chuck.

"That if you weren't going with the Prince there was only one other person you'd really care to go with?" he elaborated.

"Mmmhmm" she nodded as she rolled over onto her stomach and placed her chin on his chest, looking him the eyes.

"You know... I don't _have_ to go with Kati... it was mostly just a last minute arrangement much like yours with the Prince..." Chuck informed her, stroking her cheekbone as she nestled her cheek into the palm of his hand.

"Well you know the only reason that arrangement got made was because I hadn't gotten a chance to bring the subject up with you yet..." Blair added.

Chuck twirled his fingers in her chestnut curls as he looked her into her eyes. They both knew this conversation needed to happen.

He sighed. "We really need to talk about this, don't we?"

She nodded. She would admit though, it was a conversation she was a bit nervous to have with him, which was mainly why she had put it off the last few weeks. With Chuck, things could go either way. And so far things had been going great.

Blair decided to sit up so she could get a better look at him and hopefully a better read of what he was thinking.

"Well obviously it's safe to say that we're more than just friends at this point..." she started. "More than just 'friends with benefits' I would like to think," she added.

"Honestly, I've been kind of thinking of you as my lover... for lack of a better term," Chuck casually admitted. He saw Blair grimace at his choice of term though. "What? It's better than saying we're 'fuck buddies', isn't it?" he asked.

Blair threw a pillow at him in anger, which he caught. "Is that all I am to you?! After these past few weeks? Just a fucking 'fuck buddy'?! Another one in your long line of conquests on the Upper East Side?!" she snapped. She couldn't believe him... she had thought they had something more as he didn't seem like he was merely in it just for the heavy petting and the sex.

She climbed to the edge of the bed, dangling her feet over the side with her back turned to him and her arms crossed. She was doing her best to fight off tears.

Chuck rolled his eyes. Clearly he had used the wrong term.

He sat up and climbed over to where she sat.

"That's not what I meant, Blair" he said softly, trying not to upset her anymore than he already had.

"You've got to know this is all new to me – before you, I had never been with the same girl twice – never had any interest to. But that night between us a few weeks ago... something changed – everything changed. I haven't been with anyone since you. Blair... look at me," he said as he reached to cup her chin in his hand and turn her face towards him. She pulled away at first before finally glancing in his direction. With his thumb he gently wiped away a lone tear that had fallen on her cheek before continuing. "Blair, I only want to be with you. I don't know why, but just being around you... being with you... it makes me happy, which is a feeling I don't really know that well. Before you, I always felt alone even when I was with someone, and honestly, I would prefer to never go back to that loneliness again. If I was being honest with myself, I think I'm falling for you, Blair."

He paused, making sure she was still listening to him.

"So no, Blair - you're not just some 'fucking fuck buddy' to me. You're so much more than that... I just don't know what to call it," he stated.

She was still staring at him with an icy glare.

"That's called being in a relationship, Bass," she hissed back at him.

"Is it? And how would I have known that, considering I've never been in one before?" Chuck quipped.

Blair just shook her head, she didn't know what to say.

"Is that what you really want, Blair? A relationship? With me?" he asked her point blank. "Because I honestly don't know what kind of boyfriend I would be... if I would be any good at it..." he continued.

"Well you won't know, unless you give it a try, Bass" she pointed out to him. Her icy glare starting to soften.

The idea of being in a committed relationship scared Chuck to no end. Granted, he hadn't been with anyone but her in weeks so monogamy didn't seem like it would be a issue, especially since she had no problem satisfying his needs. And while Blair had always thought that it was Nate behind all the sweet romantic gestures he did for her all those wasted years they were together - little did she know that Nate always had gone to Chuck for ideas and suggestions as the golden boy didn't have an original idea in his pretty little head. Chuck was willing to bet that he knew Blair better than Nate ever had.

"Well... in that case, I guess it wouldn't hurt to escort my girlfriend to her Debutante Ball this weekend now, would it?" Chuck grinned at her as he he reached his hand around her neck and pulled her towards him for a passionate kiss.

Blair smiled at hearing him refer to her as his girlfriend. She kissed him back before asking "So we're making it official then?"

He smiled and nodded, "If that's what you really want, Blair... then I guess it's worth the risk." He pulled her towards him as he fell back onto the bed, focusing on kissing her lips some more.

After a moment though, Blair pulled away. "But Chuck... how do we tell Nate? It needs to happen before the ball, otherwise he's likely to cause a scene if we don't tell him beforehand..."

As much as he wished she would just stop talking and continue kissing him instead, he knew she was right.

After mulling it over for awhile, Chuck came up with a plan.

"Tell you what, Blair... until we can come up with something solid that doesn't conclude with Nate punching me in the face, giving me a black eye before the ball... why don't we let everyone assume we're merely 'just close friends' for now? I mean obviously if they ask we'll tell them the truth... but just until things with Nate cool over so we don't have to worry about explaining to everyone why your date to Cotillion has a black eye?"

Blair could see his point. The way that Chuck and Nate were practically brothers, she knew things between the boys would likely get physical. And she really didn't want Chuck to have a black eye in the photos of what she was sure would be a night to remember. While she wasn't fond of the idea of keeping their now official relationship a secret, she agreed to it for the meantime. But sooner or later they were going to have to admit their relationship to Nate... and hopefully before Gossip Girl found out.

* * *

"I just don't know what – or rather who – has gotten into her, Serena," Nate mulled out loud, joining Serena for coffee. "Going to Cotillion together was one of those things I know she has been dreaming about for... well forever! And when I offer to still take her – even just as friends – she completely snaps at me! I just don't understand!"

"Nate... have you stopped and just asked her what's going on?" Serena posed the question. "I mean, I know you're kind of set on getting her back, but have you bothered to actually just listen to her? She does seem quite happy lately..."

"Yeah she does... Serena, she tells you everything – do you know who she's seeing? She said that if she wasn't going with The Prince that there was only one other person she would care to go with... do you know who?"

Serena hesitated. Based on what Blair had confessed to her on Thanksgiving, she had a feeling that Chuck was the reason behind Blair's new-found happiness, but without confirmation she didn't want to cause anymore drama than there would be if she was mistaken.

Nate," she started. "If you won't just talk to her and really listen to her, then I think maybe you should talk to Chuck."

Nate snapped to attention. "Chuck?" he asked curiously. Then an idea hit him. "Of course Chuck! He would be able to find out!" Nate jumped up out of his seat to go find his best friend, but not before leaning forward and giving Serena a kiss on the forehead. "S – you're a genius! Thanks so much!"

"No, but Nate... that's not what I-"

"Gotta run, Serena!" Nate said, throwing on his jacket as he went to rush out the door. "Thanks again for the chat!"

Serena looked down at her coffee and shook her head in disbelief. Either Chuck would be honest with Nate or he'd find some way to throw him off his trail.

* * *

Chuck had just entered The Palace lobby after a passion filled afternoon spent at Blair's. He had a smile on his face as he recalled their little chat earlier when they decided they were officially a couple. He had a girlfriend. Chuck Bass had a girlfriend.

_Who would have ever thought?_

He was lost in his thoughts as to what all he still needed to do to ensure Blair's Cotillion was perfect that he didn't even notice Nate waiting for him by the grand staircase.

"Hey man! Got a second?" Nate called after him.

_He sure seems in a good mood_, Nate thought to himself as he flagged Chuck down.

"Nathaniel... what's going on?" Chuck inquired.

"I... I just don't get it – with Blair," he started. "I know how important Cotillion is to her, it was always a dream of hers to go together and when I offered to take her, even just as friends, she completely snapped!"

"Well... like the book says – maybe she's just not that into you anymore..." Chuck told him.

"I have to find out if she's seeing someone – it's killing me!" Nate exclaimed. "You two are pretty close still, right?"

"Uh..." Chuck hesitated. He was afraid of saying too much and making Nate even more suspicious. "Yeah, I guess you could say so..."

"Find out who she's seeing." Nate requested.

He couldn't help it, after his talk with Blair this afternoon, he didn't want to hide what they had anymore and the sooner he got this over with, the better. He didn't want to keep lying to his best friend.

"Me," Chuck blurted. It just came out.

_Shit! Shit! Shit_! He screamed in his head.

"Yes, you!" Nate exclaimed. "Who better?"

Chuck couldn't believe what he was hearing. While he just confessed their relationship to the one person they both feared telling the most, the golden boy was clearly too dense to realize what he had just been told.

"Who better indeed..." he replied, grinning as he carried on his way towards the elevators to his suite.

"Thanks, man!" Nate called after him. "I owe ya one!"

Chuck was a bit relieved. Even though it was obvious that Nate completely misunderstood their conversation, he couldn't say he didn't try to tell him.

* * *

"Thanks so much for your time Miss Waldorf. I guess I'll see you and The Prince later tonight," the New York Times reporter said as he prepared to head out and begin his Night Out With story.

"Oh actually I'm not going with The Prince anymore!" Blair informed him. "I'm going with-"

"Chuck Bass, pleasure to meet you," Chuck extended his hand to the reporter as he had just arrived.

He turned towards Blair. "And how are we this afternoon, beautiful?" he asked as he pulled her close and began kissing the nape of her neck. He knew she liked it just as much as he enjoyed kissing her there.

Blair on the other hand could tell Chuck was making the reporter uncomfortable. She jammed her stiletto into his foot and playfully pushed him off her. "I'm fine, Chuck," she hissed at him. "My good _friend_, Chuck." Chuck frowned at her referring to him as merely just her good friend. She then turned towards the reporter, switching on the Waldorf charm. "I believe you have what you need for now, yes?"

He smiled at the couple and nodded. "Yes, I believe so. Then I will see you both this evening. Miss Waldforf, Mr. Bass," he gave them both a slight bow before making his exit.

As soon as the reporter was gone, Blair smacked Chuck in the arm. "Chuck! What was that about?! Clearly you were making him uncomfortable!"

Chuck gave her his trademark smirk. "What? I'm not allowed to be affectionate with my _girlfriend_..." Chuck paused and raised an eyebrow as he continued "–or should I say _good friend_? - in front of someone?" he inquired.

"Not when that someone happens to be a reporter from the New York Times writing an article about me when we have yet to tell Nate about our relationship, Chuck!" she snapped at him.

"Well I guess then it's good that I told him," Chuck informed her.

Blair's eyes widened as she began looking for visible bruises on Chuck's skin.

"What? When? How did he take it?" she asked. She was surprised to hear Chuck already told him as she figured it was something they would do together.

"Well... he asked me to find out who you were seeing... and I may have blurted out that it was me..." Chuck began. "But... I did admit it to him, whether he believes it or not."

_It's not my fault Nate most likely misunderstood what I told him. Guess we'll deal with that when the time comes..._ Chuck thought to himself. He wanted this night to be as stress-free as possible for her and that meant not having her worry so much about how Nate would react to seeing his best friend and his ex-girlfriend making a grand entrance together.

"Well that's the important thing though – that you tried," Blair told him. An idea popped into her head. "Chuck, do you know what this means?"

"What's that, Blair?"

"We don't have to keep it such a secret anymore!" she squealed as she threw her arms around him, pulling him close for a passionate kiss.

He grinned. He loved seeing her happy. And he loved even more that it was finally him making her happy.

After few moments Chuck reluctantly pulled away.

"As much as you know how I would love to take you upstairs and ravish you among your sheets, we should probably go get ready for this evenings festivities," he told her.

Blair frowned, but nodded. She knew he was right. If they got started now, there's no way they would make it in time for Cotillion.

"I'll see you on the staircase, lover," Blair added seductively as she gave him one last kiss before rushing off upstairs to get ready. Chuck had offered to pick her up in his limo, however she had insisted that it would be best if they arrived separately and let their grand entrance on the staircase be their big reveal.

* * *

Chuck was finishing off a joint in the courtyard when Nate approached him.

"Nathaniel? What are you doing here all dressed up?" Chuck was surprised to see Nate in a suit that perfectly matched Blair's gown.

"Hey so, I hear Blair's no longer going with The Prince... thought maybe she might need a last minute escort," Nate replied.

"I can assure you, she's fine," Chuck told him, with a hint of annoyance in his voice.

"Is that... No!" Nate exclaimed, shocked. Chuck turned to look in the direction Nate was gawking and saw their enemy Carter Baizen approaching Blair and Serena near the entrance. Chuck and Nate both watched as Carter linked arms with both girls and walked them inside.

"Carter Baizen's her escort?!" Nate shrieked. Chuck couldn't help but stifle a laugh.

_Oh this was going to be good._ Chuck thought.

"Nathaniel, I'm sure it's nothing-" he started, trying to calm Nate down.

"Chuck! She said there was only person she cared to go with that wasn't The Prince and it wasn't me... but really? Carter Baizen?! I can't believe this!"

Chuck sighed. There was no getting through to Nate.

* * *

Chuck went to take his place in line after he made sure Nate was stationed with the other high-class escorts on back-up. He was a bit surprised to see his place in line was right next to Carter Baizen.

"Carter... what are you doing here?" he hissed at his nemesis.

"Chuck! Look man, I just wanted to apologize about before... no hard feelings! I just want to this be a carefree evening," he told Chuck.

"But what are you doing here?" He looked across from Carter to see who it was he was escorting and his eyes landed on Serena. "You're Serena's escort?" he asked, baffled. "I thought the Brooklynite was escorting her?"

"Yeah, well... her grandmother didn't see it fit that someone of such low class should be escorting her granddaughter into society... so I was asked," Carter informed him.

"Didn't your parents disown you?" Chuck reminded him.

"They cut me off... for the time being. But apparently I still have a good reputation... unlike some..." Carter quipped. He looked across from Chuck to see who he was supposed to be escorting. "You and Blair Waldorf?! Really?" he remarked.

"Yes... and what of it?" Chuck snapped back at him. Just then Blair caught his eye and smiled, giving him a little wave. Chuck smiled and waved back.

"I thought she was with Nate?" Carter inquired.

"Yeah, well, she's with me now," Chuck informed him.

Carter raised an eyebrow at Chuck's revelation. "But... you don't have girlfriends," he pointed out.

"Well, I guess something's change," Chuck replied.

* * *

"Really, B? You got Chuck to be your escort?" Serena squealed.

Blair nodded with a smile on her face. "Sure did, S – it only made sense, being that he's my boyfriend now..." she smirked at her best friend.

"Oh my god, B! You two finally made it official? That's great!" Serena was so excited for her friend, she knew how much she wanted this.

"S... wasn't Humphrey supposed to be your escort tonight?" Blair inquired.

"Yeah... but Grandma Cece scared him off... I can't believe her! I guess Carter will do for a back-up... did you see Nate showed up, without anyone to escort? That's bit borderline insane..." Serena commented.

Blair nodded in agreement, "Or desperate!"

Nate was definitely acting a bit crazy these days.

* * *

Going alphabetically by last name, Serena was announced before Blair. Nate's ears perked up from the back of the room when it was announced that Serena was escorted by Carter Baizen and not Chuck like he had assumed when he saw his best friend standing up there next to Carter.

"Blair Cornelia Waldorf, daughter of Harold and Eleanor Waldorf..."

_If Carter isn't escorting Blair then that must mean she's..._

"...escorted by Charles Bass..."

Nate eyed his best friend and his ex-girlfriend happily walking arm in arm up the staircase together as the crowd began to whisper. A rage began to grow inside of him at the revelation of their betrayal. As much as he wanted to look away when he saw Chuck pull Blair into his arms for a deep, jaw dropping kiss before taking their place among the other announced couples, he couldn't. He could do nothing but stare in disbelief.

He didn't want to ruin the event for Blair, but before the night was over he would have it out with Chuck.

* * *

Blair couldn't believe how flawless the night was going. Chuck was being a complete gentleman, even keeping his public displays of affection appropriate, and Nate was nowhere to be seen.

After dinner was over it was time for the elegant ritual dance they had all rehearsed throughout the week. Blair was happy her and Chuck had had their talk and decided to go to Cotillion together. So far, it had been the perfect night – she was glad to have Chuck as her date and now officially as her boyfriend.

"Chuck, this evening has been perfect – thank you so much!" Blair told him as they continued dancing together throughout the open dance portion of the night.

"My pleasure, Blair," he told her. Then he leaned towards her and whispered in her ear, "Just wait til afterwards – I booked us the honeymoon suite," he grinned.

"Chuck..." Blair gasped as she smiled at him. She couldn't believe he had gotten it on such short notice.

"HOW COULD YOU?" Nate yelled as he approached them both.

Chuck and Blair both turned to look towards the direction Nate was coming from.

"Nathaniel... calm down..." Chuck said as he gently took Blair by the arm, moving her behind him so she wouldn't be caught in the middle in case things escalated.

"YOU KNEW HOW I FELT!" he yelled at Chuck before addressing Blair over his best friend's shoulder. "Really, Blair? He's who you'd rather go with than me OR The Prince?!"

"Chuck... I thought you told him," she cautiously said.

"I tried..." Chuck responded. "Clearly he misunderstood..."

"MISUNDERSTOOD WHAT, CHUCK?!" Nate snapped. "When did you ever try to tell me that it was you she was seeing this whole time?!"

"When you told me last night to find out who she was seeing!" Chuck snapped back at him. "I blurted out that it was me and your response was 'Who better?' Or did you forget? Obviously it didn't dawn on you what I had confessed!"

Nate paused for a moment, going silent as he tried to recall his encounter with Chuck the previous night. His mind also flashed back to his conversation with Serena. Realization washed over his face. Chuck and Blair both saw it. He had been so focused on finding out who the mystery guy was that Blair was seeing that he completely missed both Serena and Chuck giving him the answer.

"No... no, no, no... how did I not notice it?!" Nate screamed in frustration.

"Look, Nathaniel, I'm sorry if you misunderstood-"Chuck started.

"No, Chuck! You're the one that misunderstood!" Nate quipped. "Bros before hoes – you knew Blair was off limits, yet you went for her anyway!" He turned to Blair, "How long were we even broken up for?"

Blair averted her eyes from Nate's. She wasn't ready to admit it to him.

"HOW LONG, BLAIR?"

"Maybe... a couple hours...?" Blair said sheepishly, just above a whisper.

"WHAT?!" Nate screamed in disbelief. It was one thing for Blair to go running off to the first guy that came around, but for Chuck to be the one to immediately take her in. He would have rather she had gotten involved with a stranger.

He lost it. And what he did next happened so fast he didn't even realize what he had done until it was too late.

Chuck wasn't expecting the sudden blow to come when it did. Nate hit him square in the cheekbone. Blair gasped. Before any of them could make another move security swooped in and dragged Nate outside.

Blair ran over to Chuck, taking his face in her hands to survey the damage Nate had done. While his cheek was bright red, Nate had fortunately missed his eye. Regardless, she noticed his eyes welled up as he winced in pain.

"Chuck, are you okay?" Blair asked with overwhelming concern in her voice.

"I'll be alright," he responded through clenched teeth. "At least he waited til the end of the night..."

Blair nodded. She was thankful for that.

"C'mon, let's go get some ice on that," she told him as she took him by the hand to the elevators. "You said we're in the honeymoon suite, yes?" she asked seductively.

Chuck tried to grin at her, but ended up grimacing in pain instead. It hurt to smile.

* * *

As soon as they entered the suite, Blair couldn't wait to get Chuck alone. She immediately went to work on his neck with her lips as she undid his bowtie and shirt.

She turned around so he could unzip her dress and as his hands slowly undid the zipper he attempted to kiss her exposed neck, only to wince again in pain.

"Blair..." he whispered softly, trying to conceal his pain.

She slipped out of her dress and turned around to face him, wearing just her slip and undergarments. She noticed right away that something was wrong and then she remembered his cheekbone. She gently reached up to stroke it.

"Does it hurt much?" she asked.

"Only when I try to do more than speak," he regretfully informed her. He knew she enjoyed his kisses as much as he enjoyed giving them.

"Let me get that ice," she told him as she disappeared to the bathroom, returning moments later with a hand towel. She then brought the ice bucket over to the bed and proceeded to tie some of the ice cubes up in the towel. "Lie down," she instructed him.

Chuck slid down into the middle of the bed, next to where Blair was sitting, waiting for him. She pushed his hair back out of his face and gently applied the towel of ice to his bruised cheekbone.

"How's that feel?" she asked.

"Cold, but manageable," he responded. It was killing him that he couldn't kiss her.

He then had an idea.

Gently, but forcefully he pulled her down on the bed next to him and leaned over her, reaching for the ice bucket. He pulled a single ice cube out of the bucket and proceeded to gently glide it across her exposed fleshed. She was breathing heavily now, the beads of water from the ice cube stimulating her in ways that only he could.

After what felt like minutes she couldn't take it anymore. She threw him onto his back and climbed on top of him, attacking him with her lips. He couldn't easily kiss her back, but that was okay – she knew he'd make up for it in other ways.

Aside from the minor infraction with Nate at the end of the night, Blair thought her Cotillion went perfectly.

* * *

Nate stood outside on the sidewalk, looking up to where he knew the honeymoon suite was. He knew Chuck would have booked it for the night. The thought of her up there – with him – disgusted him to no end.

She was supposed to have given herself to him. She had tried numerous times however he didn't realize what he was missing until now. He regretted not giving into her sooner when she had wanted. He regretted not showing up at her birthday party with the family ring his parents had insisted he give her. He still loved her.

He'd be the good guy and give them their space for now – he was going to Connecticut for the holidays anyway. By the time he returned he was sure Blair would see Chuck for the womanizer he really was, that she had been nothing more than just another notch in Chuck's bedpost - a catch only because she had given him her virginity. He knew she would realize it – Chuck was half the gentleman he was and he was the type of guy Blair had dreamed about for as long as she could remember.

_Chuck is just a passing phase_, he told himself. _Nothing more_.

It would be a new year when he returned. And he would win her back.


	4. Chapter 4 - Miracle on Fifth Avenue

_A/N: Happy Holidays everyone! Again, thanks to everyone who has read and everyone who has reviewed/followed/favorited! I really appreciate it – it's quite encouraging! _

_On a holiday related note, did you know Leighton Meester recorded a version of "Christmas (Baby, Please Come Home"? Funny story, I was putting together a Christmas playlist the other day and came across her version of it... only to realize it's one of the songs that has been playing on our Christmas soundtrack for the past 4 years (at least) at the store I work at! How funny! It's a pretty good version, if you ask me – although if you've never heard any of her recordings, expect to have a "woah" moment as I never would have guess it was Blair singing, she sounds so different from what I would have expected! Also, while typing this and listening to a Christmas channel on Pandora, "Where are you Christmas?" from the live-action Grinch came up – you know, the version sung by Cindy Lou Who, aka Taylor Momsen, aka Jenny Humphrey? Too funny! Although it always weirds me out nowadays seeing how she turned out to remember she was once little Cindy Lou!_

_That said, here's the Christmas episode!_

* * *

"C'mon, Chuck – we're going to be late!" Blair told him, trying to be stern and not giggle as she resisted his attempts to distract her in the hallway. "Besides, someone's coming!"

She just finished straightening her blouse when she heard Lily approaching. "Blair! Charles!" she exclaimed as she saw them, "Happy Holidays!"

"Happy Holidays, Lily," Blair replied as she leaned forward so Lily could give her a kiss on the cheek.

"Lily..." Chuck greeted her. "And father."

"Charles... I thought you would have been in Monaco by now," his father raised an eyebrow in suspicion.

"I... uh, decided to stick around for the holidays this year," Chuck said, bashfully, glancing at Blair next to him as a shy smile crept onto his face.

"I see..." Bart responded.

"Oh that reminds me, Blair – I already told Charles, but I forgot to tell you just how magnificent you two looked at Cotillion together last week! Your dress was just perfect!" Lily gushed.

"That is unfortunate about what happened between you and Nathaniel though, son," Bart added. "Perhaps it can be mended?"

"We'll see..." Chuck casually responded. He had been too distracted by Blair lately to give the situation with Nate any thought.

"Well, if you two don't mind... we're actually running late to meet my father as he just arrived at the airport and Chuck hasn't been quite the distraction so we really must get going..." Blair informed them. "Pleasure seeing you again, Lily... and you too Mr. Bass – I'm sure we'll meet again."

"If you're the reason my son has seemed to turn over a new leaf, then I'm sure we will, Miss Waldorf," Bart responded, with a bit of approval in his voice. Blair smiled as she went about her way.

"In all my years, I've never seen Charles act like that around a girl..." Bart remarked to Lily once Chuck and had Blair had disappeared around the corner, completely flabbergasted.

"I told you I thought things seemed a bit serious between them at Cotillion..." Lily reminded him.

"You did... but I guess I just needed to see it for myself. She's good for him, yes?"

"Considering what a good friend she's always been to my daughter, I would think so," she told him.

"Good then – it's about time he grew up and found someone worthwhile," he said with a hopeful look.

* * *

"Blair!" Serena yelled out to her friend as she went rushing past her. "And Chuck? Why am I not surprised you stuck around this year?" she smiled.

"Can you blame me, Serena?" Chuck smiled. Oddly enough, he was looking forward to spending Christmas in the city instead of somewhere tropical this year.

"S, I really can't talk right now – we're extremely late and we have..."

"A really big sweet tooth?" Serena questioned as she eyed the big candy canes Chuck and Blair were carrying.

"They're for my dad and me – we get them every year and he just landed from Paris... 27 minutes ago! Oh my god, Chuck we're soooo late!" Blair exclaimed.

"Oh, well then – vite, vite! I parle while you marche!" Serena told Blair who gave her an exasperated look – Serena's French was terrible. "Come on, I said vite!"

Chuck couldn't help but laugh, Blair was going to murder Serena for murdering the French language.

* * *

"Blair, what are you doing?" Chuck questioned as she unsuccessfully attempted to hail a cab.

"What? We can't just walk – we'll never make it there in time!" she reminded him.

"Oh for Christ's sake, don't be ridiculous - we have Arthur!" he told her as he pulled out his phone to call for his driver.

"So it's going to be a real Waldorf Christmas, huh, B?" Serena asked as they waited for the car.

"A real Waldorf Christmas _Eve_ – Eleanor drew the line at Christmas day, I guess she said that's reserved only for me, her and Dorota... and I'm thinking maybe Chuck could sneak in too," Blair said, as she winked at the object of her affection.

Serena couldn't help but smile at how happy her friend was. "Well, that means you still have a couple of days with your dad..."

"Hopefully more than a couple – I'm going to convince him to stay in New York," Blair informed her.

"But B, what about Paris and Roman?"

"My father belongs here with me – he only left New York to ride out the scandal... and besides, Roman is just a phase..."

"Like people think Chuck is just a phase..." Serena whispered under her breath.

"What's that, S?"

"Nothing... hey there was something I wanted to ask you though!"

"Yes?"

"A gift idea for Dan... now that Vanessa got him the most thoughtful gift ever, I don't know what to get him that would be just as good..." Serena fretted.

"Um... why don't you just buy him a new outfit for that doll of his and call it a day?" Blair suggested as she shrugged.

"Yeah, totally not helpful at all, B..." Serena called after her as she got into Chuck's limo. She sighed.

"You know, S... if you really want to wow him, I could suggest a few lingerie shops you could maybe find something he'd like on you at..." Chuck mentioned to her before entering the limo.

"Ew, Chuck! No! Thanks for your input... but no!" Serena cried.

"Just trying to help," he shrugged. "I know if you were Blair I would like that for Christmas," he winked.

"Chuck! Let's go!" Blair yelled from inside the limo.

"Back to square one," Serena thought out loud.

* * *

It had been an antagonizing long ride to Blair's penthouse for Chuck as she was too excited about her father's arrival, ignoring all his advances on the ride over. He tried one last time in the elevator, but was once again denied.

"Chuck, later!" she hissed at him, swatting his hand away from her rear as he went for a feel with a devilish grin on his face.

"What? I don't know what you're talking about, Waldorf," he replied, grinning like a Cheshire cat.

"I don't want to be in a compromising position with you when these doors open and give daddy the wrong impression about you!" she told him.

"Blair... it's not like I've never met your father – did you forget we all grew up together?"

"But he doesn't know you as my _boyfriend_ though," she reminded him. "Daddy was fond of Nate, I'd like for him to be fond of you too."

"Fine," Chuck conceded. "But I expect to rewarded for good behavior later."

"Oh, don't worry - you will," she smiled at him, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek before the elevator doors opened.

"Daddy!" she yelled as she ran into her father's waiting arms.

"Blair-Bear!" he exclaimed. "Oh look at you – you're more beautiful than ever, sweetheart! And I have a surprise for you!"

Blair's eyes lit up – she loved surprises.

"You remember Roman, don't you?" her father asked as the man in question came around the corner.

"Blair, dear! You're still perfection!" the man said as he went to embrace her.

Blair couldn't believe her father thought this was a surprise she would like. She glanced over at Chuck who had raised an eyebrow in question. He knew Blair wasn't fond of her father's lover. "Delicate, but yet full of flavour... like a macaroon!" Roman said as he presented Blair with a box of her favorite treat.

"Well hello Blair, Charles," Eleanor greeted them as she appeared. "Can you just imagine my surprise when the elevator opened and both of them popped out?"

"Well... I didn't think you'd mind, plus I thought it was the perfect opportunity for you two to get to know each other better, Blair-Bear!" her father told her.

"Sure..." Blair grumbled. "This is for you," she told her father as she handed him the candy cane.

"Aww, sweetheart – you remembered our tradition!" her father declared.

"Of course, father... and this one is for you," she said as she took the other candy cane from Chuck and handed it to Roman.

"Merci, Blair!" the Frenchman responded.

"My pleasure..." Blair said with clenched teeth as she forced a smile. She turned to Chuck and rolled her eyes, she couldn't believe this.

"Blair, dear – aren't you going to introduce us to your friend?" her father asked, referring to Chuck.

"My bad – daddy, this is my boyfriend, Chuck... we've known each other since we were little, I'm sure you remember him," Blair informed her father.

"Chuck Bass," Chuck introduced himself, extending a welcoming hand to her father.

"Boyfriend, huh?" Her father questioned. "Pleasure to meet you, son – just be sure to treat her well," he added with a smile and a pat on the shoulder.

* * *

While Chuck seemed to be hitting it off with her father over dinner, Blair sat in her seat brooding. She couldn't believe her father had brought _him_ to _their_ Christmas. It was going to ruin the few days she had with him, she just knew it.

Although she put on a good act, Chuck knew Blair was clearly upset.

"Why don't we go upstairs?" he leaned over and whispered in her ear once their entrees were finished.

"Alright," she nodded. "Mother, Father... Roman..." she hissed out the last name, "Chuck and I are going to get started on a project for school that's due after the holidays, if you don't mind?"

"Not at all dear – I know how important your studies are to you! Glad to see that even if with a new beau in your life, you're not letting your grades slide!" Her father remarked. "In case I don't get a chance to say so later, nice to officially meet you Chuck!"

"You too, Mr Waldorf, Roman," Chuck responded.

Blair was tired of the pleasantries and pulled Chuck from the table.

* * *

"I can't believe him!" Blair cried as she shut the door to her room once they were both inside. "How DARE he bring that home-wrecker with him!" She threw herself down on the bed.

Chuck went to sit down next to her, rubbing a hand along her back to calm her down.

"Well... what do you suggest we do about it?" he offered.

"Ruin the home-wrecker's life and let him know he's not wanted here," she quickly responded, propping herself up on her elbow to face him. "Any ideas?"

"I'm sure we could come up with a few..." Chuck responded, leaning in to kiss her. "But first... I think I've been a pretty well-behaved boyfriend tonight, don't you think?" he said as he laid down next to her, sliding a hand around the back of her neck to pull her in closer to him.

Blair smiled. "You always know how to take my edge off, don't you, Bass?"

"That I do, Waldorf, that I do..." he remarked as he kissed her lustfully. Ever since her tease of a make-out session in the school hallway earlier that afternoon he had been dying for some time alone with her.

"But Chuck... mmm... ooooh... what... what do I do about my dad and Roman?" she asked in between his kisses here and there.

"Blair..." Chuck whispered into her ear raspfully.

"Hm...?" she moaned back in pleasure, despite being distracted.

"Turn that mind of yours off and just shut up and kiss me," he told her as his hands began to ravish her and his lips began to assault her neckline with kisses. "We'll discuss that later."

She nodded as she felt Chuck all over her. She decided instead to focus on not screaming his name as loud as she usually did, as she didn't know where her parents were at that moment and knew she'd never hear the end of it if they overheard their activities in her bedroom.

* * *

"Okay, so... Bass... what's the plan?" Blair asked him as she rolled and turned to face him. Chuck laid on the bed, still under the covers with her.

"Um... well... what do we know about him, aside that he's French?" Chuck questioned.

"Hm..." Blair started but was interrupted by the sound of her father's voice.

"Blair-bear? You still awake?" he called from the hallway.

"Shit! Chuck hide!" Blair hissed as she jumped up and threw him out of the bed in the process. "Just a second, daddy!" she yelled towards the door. Thank God, she remembered to lock it.

"Where?" he asked, in a panic. This would look really bad if her father caught them in bed together already.

"In there!" Blair said as she rushed him into her walk-in closet, shoving his clothes and shoes into his hands as she closed the door behind him. Looking around, she grabbed quickly grabbed her robe and adjusted her hair before opening the bedroom door.

"Everything okay, dear?" Her father asked, looking around the room behind her.

"Yes, daddy, everything's fine – I was... just getting ready for bed," she lied.

"Oh... is Chuck still here?"

"Oh, no daddy... he... he had to get home," she lied again.

"Oh okay... it was nice meeting him – I'll admit, I was surprised to see someone other than Nate, but you do seem happy together and he seemed like such a lovely gentleman – some great fashion sense there too!" he remarked. Blair couldn't help but smile – she had forgotten that Chuck probably could have won her father over with just his fashion sense alone. "Well, sweetheart, I was just heading to bed and thought I'd tell you good night..." he leaned forward to kiss his daughter on the forehead. "Ice skating tomorrow?"

"Definitely daddy!" Blair squealed. _At last, time alone with daddy_, she thought. "See you in the morning!" she responded as she gave him a kiss goodnight.

After the door was closed she heard Chuck come out of the closet.

"He's definitely gay if he commented on my sense of fashion," Chuck couldn't help remarking.

"Yeah, yeah... almost makes me wonder about you... if I'm not falling in my mother's footsteps," Blair winked at him.

"Hey, you can still look good and not be gay – plenty of guys do it. Besides... I'm pretty sure you can vouch for the fact that I most definitely prefer women," he winked back at her before leaning in for a kiss. His hands fell to the tie around the waist of her robe.

"Chuck, no," she swatted his hand away as she pulled back. "You have to go, we can't risk getting caught, especially after I already told daddy you left."

"Well, I didn't tell you to lie..."

"I know, but still..."

"Weren't we going to scheme?" he asked, giving her puppy dog eyes.

"Actually... I'm going skating with daddy tomorrow. If I have him all to myself I might be able to work my charm on him without resorting to schemes," she informed him.

"If you think so..." Chuck told her, "But if you change your mind... I'll be around!"

"I'll be sure to remember that, Bass," she said giving him one more kiss. "Now, you need to leave."

Chuck headed for the door when Blair stopped him.

"Wait, Chuck, no!"

"Changed your mind, already Waldorf?" he asked with his smirk on his face.

"Ha, you wish!" she laughed. "No, but you can't leave that way – someone might see or hear you. I need you to go down the fire escape."

He gave her a look of uttermost disbelief. "Really, Blair? You really expect me to shimmy on down the fire escape?"

"Of course! How else do you expect to sneak out?"

Chuck sighed as he walked towards the window, pushing it open. "The things I do for you, Waldorf..."

"I know," she smiled.

"Good night, Blair," he told her as he disappeared outside the window.

"Good night, Chuck," she quietly called down after him as she leaned out the window and watched him make it down to the sidewalk where Arthur soon appeared with the limo.

She grinned to herself as she watched the vehicle pull away. _Chuck Bass just climbed down a fire escape for you_, she grinned as she thought to herself. She could bet he had never done that before for a girl.

* * *

"I can't believe you're okay with this!" Blair hissed at her mother as they walked through Central Park ahead of her father and Roman.

"Who said I'm okay with this?" Eleanor hissed back. "What am I supposed to do? Make a scene and behave like some pathetic, scorned wife? I don't think so!"

Blair sighed. "But Roman doesn't even know how to skate! Can't you escort him out of the park on your way to your meeting or something? Drop him off at a nail salon somewhere?"

"I can't bother myself with trying to wrestle Roman away from you and your father – I have to mentally prepare for my meeting – I am meeting with the CEO of Victoria Secret after all!

"Victoria Secret?" Roman inquired from behind them.

"Uh yes, I'm designing a line of retro-chic sleepwear and lingerie..." Eleanor informed him.

"And I'm looking forward to the samples – we're all very proud. In fact... mother... why don't you tell Roman all about it? I'm sure he'd _love_ to hear all the details!" Blair suggested as she slipped away to walk with her father.

"Blair dear!" her father exclaimed as she linked her arm in his.

"It's so good to have you here daddy..." she told him. "I've missed you."

"I've missed you too, Blair-Bear..." he admitted.

"You know daddy... you don't have to miss me at all... you could just stay here..." she innocently reminded him.

"Honey... I wish I could be in two places at once, but I'm sorry – that's just impossible... you know that chateau near Lyon that I told you about?"

Blair nodded.

"Well... Roman and I bought it!" he declared.

"What?" Blair gasped. "You bought that place?! With Roman?!"

"Yes... the house is flooded with light, the fireplaces are big enough you can walk into them, the gardens are incredible!"

Blair grunted under her breath as her father continued to gush about the chateau.

As she looked ahead, she saw a man chatting up her mother. First her father, and now her mother... Blair just rolled her eyes.

* * *

"Blair, we need your help!" her father called to her as he struggled to keep Roman on his feet while skating.

"Just a second," Blair called back as she finished sending a text to Chuck.

_Operation Ax-Roman is a go – he's tagged along 2 skate n daddy said he bought house with him. Have an idea, but could use more. Help?_

_-B_

"Ready? Now – go to Blair, you can do it!" her father encouraged Roman.

"Blair! Please, give us a lesson!" Roman called to her.

She rolled her eyes, "Alright... come to me, Roman!" Blair beckoned as a devilish idea popped in her head. At the last second she slipped her skate into his way, tripping him.

"Oh no, are you okay, Roman?" she asked innocently.

"Are you alright,?" her father asked, as he skated over to them.

"I..." Roman looked to Blair, in complete disbelief at what she had just done. "I'm so clumsy... I guess my foot got caught in her skate..."

"Let me help you up," Blair smiled sweetly. _Now you know not to mess with me_, she thought to herself.

* * *

"I can't believe he decided to stay with Roman at the hospital instead of having tea with me at the Carlow! The doctor said he'd make a full recovery... everything is ruined!" Blair vented as she joined her mother in the elevator.

"Why would you say that? You, Chuck and I had a marvelous time... he is quite a charmer, takes after his father in that aspect!" Eleanor stated.

"I'm sorry mother... but it's just not the same... I don't understand how that French fox stole my father and your husband yet always seems to come off like... like an innocent lamb!" she quipped.

"Well... Roman wasn't always so innocent, you know..."

"Really, mother? What's his story?" Blair inquired.

"Oh, when I first met him, he was going out with this model named Freddie – Freddie was a horrible, horrible scoundrel," Eleanor told her.

"Yeah? And Roman would actually be into somebody like that?"

"Into him? He was actually infatuated with him! Freddie had him under some kind of spell... I was the one who got him to break out out of it and turn his life around. Don't mention Freddie to your father though – it's a sore sentiment."

"Oh don't worry mother, I won't..." Blair innocently assured her mother as she grinned and the scheming wheel in her head began to turn.

* * *

"Blair, I really don't know about this..." Chuck told her over the phone as she ran her idea past him. "It seems like that's crossing a line and going too far, don't you think?"

"Well, I think it's a great plan!" Blair retorted. "and S just got here to help me put it into action. See you later tonight?"

"Definitely," Chuck responded. "Sorry about not being able to stick around after tea – I got a call that your present was ready for pick-up so yeah..."

"Understandable! I'll see you tonight! Mwah!" She kissed into the phone before hanging up.

"Chuck, I'm guessing?" Serena remarked as she watched Blair. "I should have known, the way you're glowing," Serena smiled.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever S..." Blair responded as she reached for her laptop.

"Is everything alright? You said to come right away... why aren't you with your dad?"

"Um, S... I need your login for that agency's site from your modeling days," Blair told her.

"My modeling days? B, I did one print ad for Gap when we were, what, twelve?" Serena sighed. "Why? Are you holding an open call or something?"

"Or something..." Blair told her. "But I'm actually looking for one model in specific..."

"Okay... I don't know if it will still work but... oh hey! Look at that!"

"Addresses... phone numbers... perfect! Thanks S!" Blair squealed with delight. "By the way, I called you over an hour ago – you're late!"

"You're lucky I'm even here! It's Christmas Eve and I still haven't found a gift for Dan... now all the stores are closing and I'm totally screwed! Do you have any idea what you can get for under $50 these days? What did you get Chuck?" Serena asked her.

"Something that cost more than $50!" Blair told her. "Look S, for that price... I don't know, maybe a single entree at a mid-priced restaurant? Three quarters of a DVD box set? Maybe a pair of Woolford stockings?"

"Yeah, stockings... that's just what he needs – again, totally not helpful! This is serious, B – I need help!" Serena begged.

"I don't know... why don't you buy him a gold Ligne 21 de Cartier and tell him it was $49.99? He won't know the difference..."

"Blair..."

"Or there's always Chuck's idea, about the lingerie..." Blair suggested as she picked up the phone and began dialing.

Serena sighed. "What are you doing, anyway?"

"I'm booking me a model, S,"

"Why do I have a feeling this is a bad idea?" Serena wonder out loud.

"Yeah, Chuck said the same thing... everything will turn out fine, you'll both see!" Blair said cheerfully.

"Well I guess that's something Chuck and I can agree on... I'll see you later, I need to find Dan's gift," Serena said as she went to leave.

* * *

Her mother's party was in full swing when Chuck arrived.

"Blair, we need to talk about this scheme of yours..." he whispered in her ear as he took her by the arm, leading her towards the stairs.

"Chuck, everything is going to be fine – you'll see – I have it all under control... " she told him. "Roman will be swept off his feet, back into the arms of his ex-lover, leaving my father heartbroken and realizing his place is here. In the city. With me."

"You realize how badly it could backfire, right?"

"Chuck, relax..." she assured him, as they walked up the stairs to her room. "I have it under control..." she smiled as she leaned against her door, pulling him towards her for a kiss by his tie. She opened the door with her free hand only to be caught by surprise at the sight of Serena, Vanessa and Erik sitting on her bed.

"Uh... Dorota is going to kill you all if you get any of that glitter on the comforter," Blair informed them, impatiently. "And I don't remember saying you could all hang out up here..."

"Sorry guys," Serena replied. "B, we had to turn your room into an art studio – the clock is ticking!"

"I'm done!" Vanessa declared as she showed Serena and Erik something on her laptop.

"Oh wow!" Erik exclaimed.

"Oh my gosh! Wow, Vanessa... this is amazing! Thank you so much!" Serena jumped up to hug the female Brooklynite. "This is going to be perfect!"

"Good! I'm glad I could help!" Vanessa said, excitedly. "I think he'll really love it!" she gushed.

Blair looked at Chuck who was still holding her against the now open door. "Gimme just a second," she whispered to him. He nodded, knowing what it was she had in mind. "Vanessa..." Blair said sweetly, slowly approaching the girl, "I think I would like to help with this little project... would you come and help me find another pair of scissors?" she asked as she began to pull Vanessa into the bathroom with her, closing the door behind her.

Erik raised an eyebrow. "What do you think that's about?" he wondered.

Chuck grinned as he fully entered the room and laid back on the chaise lounger. "Two girls, in a bathroom, one smoking hot... plenty of ideas for the imagination, young Van der Woodsen," Chuck winked at the younger teen.

"Eww, Chuck!" Serena cringed.

* * *

"You know, it's just so nice what you're doing for your friend Dan, helping his girlfriend make his Christmas present..." Blair began telling Vanessa. "Serena is so grateful because, well... she likes to see the best in people. Me? I like to see the truth," she informed her, matter of factly.

"Oh yeah? And what's that?" Vanessa quipped.

"I think it's this – you like Dan a little too much. And I just thought you should know that someone realizes that and is watching," Blair hissed, letting the female Brooklynite know she meant business. "Merry Christmas!" she called out as Vanessa stormed out of the room. Blair grinned, clearly she had made her point.

* * *

"I'm taking off – call me when you're done," Vanessa told the others as she hurried towards the door.

"Uh, okay... where are you going?" Serena questioned, but Vanessa was already gone.

"I'm going to go check on my daddy and the rest of the party," Blair said, smiling as she came out of the bathroom, heading towards the door.

"I thought you wanted to help?" Erik asked in confusion.

"I think my help here is done," Blair grinned, pausing as she reached the door. "Chuck? Are you coming?"

Chuck got up off the lounger and immediately followed after Blair.

"He is sooo whipped," Serena giggled after Chuck and Blair left the room.

"I never thought the great Chuck Bass would allow that!" Erik remarked as he watched the couple disappear, in complete disbelief.

* * *

Blair and Chuck were dancing amongst the other party goers when she spotted Freddie making his entrance. She watched as her mother approached him and then Roman... and finally her father.

"Look, Chuck! My plan is working!" Blair squealed. "Daddy's furious with Roman!"

"Blair... I don't think..." Chuck started.

"No, just watch!" she hushed him.

"If it's going so well, then why are your parents giving you a death stare?" Chuck questioned, whispering into her ear.

Blair looked again, "Uh oh..." she said as she looked away, burying her face in Chuck's shoulder, trying not to make eye contact with either of her parents.

"They're gone," Chuck told her a moment later. "Your mother and father went into the kitchen... they didn't seem too happy though..." he informed her.

"Ugh... you were right!" Blair sighed in surrender. "I'm going to be in so much trouble..."

"I'm sure you'll be fine... it's not like it's your first scheme to ever backfire," Chuck reminded her as he held her in his arms while they continued to dance.

"Yeah..." she did feel guilty though, but only a little bit.

* * *

A little while had passed when she heard her father approach. "Excuse me, Chuck... Blair, may I have a word with you?" her father asked.

"Be nice," Chuck whispered in her as he let go of her.

Blair nodded. "Okay daddy," she said as she hung her head in shame.

They went upstairs to her room.

"Our flight leaves soon and I wanted to make sure I had a chance to say goodbye," he told her as he sat down next to her on the bed.

"Please forgive me, Blair. I should have told you I was bringing Roman," he started. "I know that having him here would be hard for you but I love you so much and I love Roman and I was hoping if we were all thrown together that... something perfect would happen and that you would love him too!"

"I was gonna convince you to move back to New York," Blair confessed. "But... then you bought a vineyard. In France. With _him_ - what's next? The commitment ceremony?

Her father slowly nodded.

"Great! There _IS_ no room in your life for me anymore!" Blair cried.

"Sweetheart, there is always room for you - no matter where I am, no matter who I'm with..." he told her, kissing her gently on the forehead. "Now here – this... is part of your Christmas gift," he said as he pulled out a wrapped CD.

Blair opened it up and saw that it was a homemade disc. She went to retrieve her laptop.

"It's your house in France," she stated as the slide show began. "It's very nice daddy – I'm sure you and Roman will totally enjoy it," she remarked as she fought back tears.

"And so will you, Blair-Bear, because... this... is your room!" he told her as the screen went to the next image.

Blair gasped. "It's beautiful!"

"We had it decorated just for you," her father informed her.

The next picture featured Roman with a black cat. "Aww, you guys have a cat!" she declared.

"A cat... named Cat – just like in your favorite movie, dear! It was Roman's idea... so Merry Christmas sweetheart! I hope you can spend the whole summer with us!"

Blair smiled. "Thank you daddy..." she said, wiping away a tear and reaching to give her father a hug. "And I'm sorry about before, with Freddie..."

"I know... and I understand why you did it – your mother explained it to me. I'm sorry as well," he apologized.

"It's okay, daddy... we can make up for it when I visit," she stated. Her father nodded.

"Well, with that... I love you Blair-Bear and I look forward to seeing you this summer," he gave her a kiss on the cheek and a tight hug goodbye.

"Love you too, daddy," she responded, hugging him as well.

* * *

Chuck saw Blair's father come back downstairs, sans Blair, so he decided it would be best to go check on her.

"Blair?" he inquired as he gently knocked on her door which was slightly ajar. When he didn't get a response he slowly entered to see the light from the bathroom through the crack in the door. The black and white version of A Miracle on 34th Street was just beginning on her laptop. He sat down on the bed and waited.

"Chuck!" Blair exclaimed as she came back into the room. "You're still here," she smiled.

"Of course – we haven't exchanged gifts yet," he remarked. "Are you okay? I saw your father and Roman leave..."

"Yes, I'll be fine," she assured him as she sat down next to him. "My plan didn't work at all, but he understood why I did it... I guess I just have to make the best of it..." she explained. "But hey, I guess a trip to France is in my plans for the summer... if you might be so inclined to join me?" she grinned.

"If you want me to, I don't see why not?" Chuck smiled as he gently kissed her hand. "Speaking of things you want..." he removed a blue Tiffany's box from his inside jacket pocket. "Merry Christmas, Blair," he told her as he kissed her cheek, handing her the box.

She carefully opened it and there was a beautiful diamond tennis bracelet with matching teardrop shaped diamond earrings that dangled.

"Chuck! They're beautiful!" she gasped. She immediately wrapped her arms around him and kissed him passionately. "Thank you, so much!"

"You're welcome – when I saw them I just knew they had to be yours, and I know how much you love Tiffany's..." he smiled as he helped her clasp the bracelet around her wrist.

"Here, let me get yours," she stood and walked over to her vanity. She handed him a carefully wrapped black jewelry box.

"Blair... it's... wow! Thank you!" He remarked, speechless as he spied a 24 carat gold wrist chain by Marc Jacobs.

"And look, near the clasp," Blair pointed out.

Sure enough, there was a small heart charm with the initials BW engraved into it. Chuck knew what it meant but didn't know what to say. Blair had once given Nate a similar charm, years before.

"So you'll always have my heart on your sleeve!" Blair grinned. Chuck smiled as he leaned in to kiss her.

"Thank you Blair, it's perfect!" he told her.

"Merry Christmas, Chuck!" she responded as she pulled him towards her while falling backwards onto the bed. "Now, for the rest of your Christmas gift," she grinned seductively.

"Are you sure this is part of my Christmas gift?" he questioned her, "Because I'm pretty sure this is the other part of yours," he smirked back at her.

"Oh, Chuck," she giggled as he proceeded to kiss her all over while she gripped onto him.

* * *

"Blair," Chuck whispered as he tried to gently wake her. They had fallen asleep watching the end of A Miracle on 34th Street after they had exhausted each other. "Blair... hey..."

She murmured something incoherent as she snuggled further into Chuck's arms.

"I need to get going – before your mom wakes up... I'm expected at the Van der Woodsen's for breakfast with them and my dad," he tried to explain.

Again, she muttered something he couldn't understand. He smiled to himself, she was too adorable when she was asleep. He gently kissed her on the head as he slowly slid out of bed and began to dress.

"Merry Christmas, Chuck," he heard her mutter that time.

Smiling, he responded. "Merry Christmas, Blair – I'll see you later," he told her as gathered up the last of his things.

Reaching for the doorknob, he noticed the bracelet on his wrist that she had given him. Once again he smiled. It was too soon to admit it, but he was pretty sure he loved her.

As he quietly made his way down the stairs, he paused when he heard Eleanor's voice.

"Call me later?" he heard her ask.

"Oh, yes!" he heard a male voice respond.

"I'll be spending Christmas with my family," she informed him.

"Of course – goodbye!" The male voice said.

"What the...? What are you doing?" Eleanor exclaimed. For a moment, Chuck thought she had spotted him.

"We're back for Christmas!" he heard Roman squeal with delight.

"With the snowstorm brewing, all flights were grounded," Blair's dad added.

"Oh how lovely!" Eleanor said with pleasure. "Roman – you are in for a treat, because a Waldorf Christmas is like no other!" she told him as she took him by the arm, escorting him towards the kitchen, not even noticing Chuck on the stairs.

He thought he was in the clear when he saw Blair's dad pause and turn, looking directly at him.

_Uh oh_, Chuck thought to himself.

He opened his mouth to speak and explain that he was just leaving, that they fell asleep watching a movie when her father motioned to him not to speak and merely just winked at him, tilting his head towards the elevator.

Chuck nodded and quickly made his way down the remainder of the stairs and towards the elevator.

Her father grabbed him by the arm as he passed by.

"I won't tell her mother about you if you don't tell her about her mother," he whispered to Chuck.

Chuck nodded. "Thank you, sir," he sighed. "We were just..."

"No need to explain – we were all once 17 and in love," he winked. "Now get going, before Eleanor sees or hears you - then you'll _really_ have some explaining to do!"

Chuck smiled and nodded. _Maybe the fire escape _was_ a better exit_, he thought to himself.

* * *

Christmas morning with the Van der Woodsen's was a bit awkward for Chuck, as he would have much rather been at Blair's, however he promised his father he would be there – especially after his father stressed the importance of his attendance since he was in town.

"How did it go with, Humphrey? Did you give my lingerie suggestion any thought?" Chuck whispered to Serena as they both tried to refrain from laughing at the gift Bart had just presented Erik with.

"I heard how much you enjoyed Florida," they overheard Bart explaining.

"It went well and if you must know... yes, that was part of the gift, but the rest was creative and romantic and he loved it!" She whispered back. "And look! He got me a Christmas tree, despite what the hotel rules say!" Serena quietly squealed. "How did it go with Blair?"

Chuck held up his wrist, showing off the gold chain. "She gave me her heart on my sleeve," he grinned.

"Oh my god, Chuck! That's huge!" Serena squealed again.

He nodded, "I know."

"Uh, mom... are you going to get that?" Serena asked as Lily's phone kept ringing.

"Lily, I can assure you, you're not going to want to interrupt this moment," Bart told her as he sat down next to her. "Erik, Serena... I just want you to know, that I have very deep feelings for your mother," he said as he drew a small ring box from his pocket.

Getting down on one knee, he continued. "Lily, will you do me the honor of being my wife?" he asked.

Serena gasped.

Chuck nearly choked on his drink.

Erik's jaw dropped.

Lily remained speechless.

* * *

_A/N: And there you have it! Chuck and Blair's first Christmas together! Hope you enjoyed it! Get ready for the next chapter – we'll have the return of Nate and his first encounter with Chair since the fight at Cotillion!_

_In another amusing note, Rules of Engagement came on while I was typing this and David Spade's character began discussing a recent episode of Gossip Girl that had aired (the one where Dan decides to raise Georgina's son as his own). Too funny!_


	5. Chapter 5 - Sex, Lies and Videotape

_A/N: Thanks again to everyone who left a comment/review - I really look forward to them once a chapter is posted! And also thanks to all the new followers who joined since the last chapter was posted! Not gonna lie, this chapter was a little hard to come up with compared to some of the others I've been working on, especially after pLei4fun wrote a great (and steamy!) AU version of the episode awhile back for her series redo. But I think it worked out nicely!_

_Also, don't you hate it when you hear a song and think "that describes these 2 characters so well!" yet when you get around to it, you can't find a single fan-made video that uses the song you now love?! I've been having that problem lately with the song "Miracle" by Shinedown when it comes to finding a Chair fan-vid set to it. Kind of sad that there doesn't seem to be any ("One More Night" by Maroon 5 is another perfect Chair song one that I did eventually find a video to!). I'm almost tempted to learn and make my own video to "Miracle"..._

* * *

Chuck sat atop the lifeguard chair, surveying the party with a smile. Looking around, his classmates were having a great time enjoying themselves at the impromptu pool party at school on a Sunday afternoon.

He had joined Blair and Serena earlier that afternoon at Blair's to study for a test when Serena made the comment about needing to de-stress. Remembering that Serena still had a key to the school pool from her brief affair with last year's captain of the swim team, Chuck suggested they take a break from studying and go for a relaxing swim. Really though, he just wanted to see Blair in a wet swim suit and attempt to fulfill some pool fantasies with her. With Blair on board with the idea, it didn't take much to talk Serena into it. Blair had invited her minions who invited some others and before they knew it, the majority of their classmates were there and it had turned into a full on party, with alcohol and the works.

It was when he realized it was taking his girlfriend longer than usual to fetch a drink from the makeshift bar that he saw what - or rather who - was holding her up. Apparently Nate was back in town and had gotten word of the party and decided to make an appearance.

* * *

Blair was quite pleased with how the boring Sunday afternoon was turning out. Classes resumed tomorrow and they all had a big test coming up – what better way to spend the end of winter break than with a pool party?

She had just finished pouring herself a drink when she heard him approach her from behind. And it wasn't the him she had wished it was.

"Hello, Blair," Nate said softly from behind her.

After a moment of hesitation, Blair turned around to face him. Her, Chuck and Nate were going to have to have to talk about the state of things eventually. They couldn't avoid each other forever, not with school starting back up.

"Nate..." she replied. "How was Connecticut? And your family?"

"Family's good, as was Connecticut – gave me some time to think," he told her.

"Oh? About what?" she inquired.

"Blair, what are you doing? With Chuck, I mean."

_Way to get straight to the point, Nate_, she thought to herself as she sighed.

"Look Nate, I know he's your best friend... or was before that spectacle you made at Cotillion, and I know it probably seemed a little too soon, but you have to believe us – it wasn't like we planned for things to happen the way they did, it just... happened," she tried to explain to him. "I'm sorry if you feel hurt and betrayed – I admit, we probably could have handled it a little better when it came to telling you... but let's face it – you probably would have reacted the same way regardless."

"Blair... I appreciate your apology, however I don't blame you – it's Chuck who should be apologizing. To both of us."

Blair was confused by that last part. "Both of us? What do you mean?"

"I realize we were broken up and you're certainly allowed to date whoever you want... but you know Chuck just saw an opportunity and decided to take advantage of you. You know how he is..."

"Yes, I do know how he is – clearly you're the one that doesn't," she snapped at him.

"Blair, you can't possibly believe he's being real with you! It's Chuck! The fact that he's still with you after getting what he wanted after Cotillion is a bit out of character, I'll admit, but you have to realize things are NEVER going to go beyond a physical relationship with him! He's not capable of a real relationship or any of the emotions that go along one! Face it, Blair – he's just using you for sex! You're letting him use you as his go-to "sure thing" and-"

But he didn't get to finish his sentence before he felt a hard slap across his face.

"You better get your facts straight, Archibald!" She hissed at him. "That's NOT how it is between Chuck and I! Things are different – maybe you can't comprehend the thought that someone like Chuck can change for the better, but the reality of it is that Chuck really _is_ changing. Maybe if you believed in him like I did, you'd be able to see that! The Chuck he's been the last 5 years or so is not the Chuck I've seen the last few months!"

"If you really believe that Blair, then why is he over there flirting with Sarah Marshall?" Nate informed her as she turned around to look in the direction where she had left Chuck not too long ago. "You've been away from him, what – five? Ten minutes? And he's already showing interest in someone else."

"He's allowed to talk to other girls, Nate," she replied. Truth was, while Chuck was your typical teenage guy, she was getting a little jealous of him talking to the tall dirty blonde in a tight swimsuit.

"I'm just worried about you, Blair, and what you're getting yourself into – you need to realize he's eventually going to get bored of being with just you – monogamy isn't Chuck's thing, it never has been. We all know that. I just... I don't want to see you get hurt like I'm afraid you're going to," he told her, as he began to gently stroke her arm. "I still care about you, regardless of what happened."

"I appreciate the concern, Nate," she admitted as she shook his hand off her arm, "but I know what I'm doing and I'm not worried. You'll see – just have some belief in him." She looked again in Chuck's direction. That skank flirting with him was really starting to get to her. "Now, if you don't mind, I spy a rat that needs drowning," she said as she turned to walk away.

* * *

"Well you know... if you want to sneak off somewhere, I'm game... AHHH!" the girl talking up Chuck screamed as she suddenly fell into the pool.

"Oh, my bad! I didn't see you there!" Blair exclaimed innocently from behind her. "You know how slippery the poolside can get... and I can be such a klutz sometimes," she added with a smirk.

Chuck couldn't help but laugh at the situation. It amused him how easily it was to make Blair jealous and what lengths she would resort to exact revenge on the cause of her jealousy.

"Ah, Waldorf..." he sighed with a grin on his face.

"What? It's not my fault some rat thought it was perfectly okay to try and come on to _my_ boyfriend... I was merely doing some pest control," she smiled back at him. She then came closer and drew her arms around his neck, pulling him in for a passionate display of affection.

As soon as she felt Chuck's arms wrap around her waist, she heard Sarah Marshall swim away in a huff.

"See? Problem taken care of," Blair remarked as she pulled back.

"What took you so long?" Chuck questioned. "And no drink in hand? Thought that was the whole reason you left me."

"I... had an unfortunate run-in with a certain ex-boyfriend of mine who felt it was his duty to tell me what a horrible, horrible person you are and that I should watch myself around you," Blair informed him as she gave him another kiss.

"Well you know... he's right," Chuck grinned between her kisses. "Don't you know - I _am_ a horrible person."

"Oh? How's that?" Blair played along.

"Well... for starters, I became quite attached, in more ways than one, to my best friend's girl within hours of them breaking up," he pointed out. "And I'm afraid I've released quite the sexual vixen within her..." he added.

"I don't think that's such a horrible thing, do you?" she whispered seductively in his ear.

"No," he chuckled as he let her kiss along his neck, "I don't think it is."

_God, I love her,_ he thought to himself. Part of him wanted so badly to tell her that he had completely fallen for her, but the other part of him was too scared to say it out loud for some reason. As if saying it would make it all the more real and run the risk of ruining everything. And if this was a dream, it was one he definitely didn't want to wake up from.

"But really, Chuck," her voice drew him back to reality. "You need to talk to Nate – you need to let him know that his fears about you using me only for sex are absurd, that there's much more to us than just that. Besides, he is your best friend..."

"Alright..." Chuck sighed as she stopped kissing on him. "Where is he? I'll go see what I can do..."

"Last I saw, he was over by the makeshift bar," Blair responded.

Chuck withdrew his arms around her and reached up to unlock hers from around his neck. He gave her one last kiss before heading off to find Nate.

* * *

In his search for the golden boy, he ran into Nate's blonde doppelganger.

"Hey Serena... why don't I turn that one piece into a no-piece?" Chuck joked, giving her a once over. While he appreciated the female form as much as the next guy, Serena really needed to work on her modesty now that she too was in a relationship. A plunging neckline screamed more that someone was "single and looking to mingle" rather than "taken and happy."

"Find a floaty to talk to, Chuck," Serena quipped at him.

"You know, if my dad and your mom come back from South Africa tomorrow engaged... we would be brother and sister... and you know what they say: The family that plays together stays together!" he teased.

"Ah, incest... The universal taboo. One of the only ones you haven't violated," Serena remarked.

"Nice, comeback, S," Chuck laughed.

"I can't believe you would actually do that to Blair!" Serena accused.

"Oh c'mon, I was only teasing!" Chuck told her. "I would _never_ do that to Blair – why does everyone keep assuming I'm going to cheat on her?!"

"Because it's in your nature, Chuck... what you have going on with Blair right now, admit it, it's not normal for you," Serena reminded him.

Chuck looked away in annoyance. It was seriously starting to piss him off just how much his so-called friends doubted his loyalty to Blair.

"Where's that boyfriend of yours?" he hissed. "Is he too broke to own a swimsuit? Or did you not invite him?"

"He's on his way," Serena retorted. "Where's Blair? Shouldn't you be oogling her in her bikini or off harassing someone else for a change?"

"That's actually what I was on my way to do... sis," Chuck added with a smirk as he went about his way.

"They're not engaged yet!" he heard Serena call after him.

_God I hope they get married - It's too easy to get under her skin_, Chuck snickered to himself.

* * *

"Nathaniel!" Chuck called out in greeting as he approached Nate who was standing off to the side of the pool. "Hey man, can we... talk for a minute?"

"Look Chuck, whatever you have to say, save it, alright? I'm onto you and what you're doing with Blair-" The sound of a hard smack against metal followed by a splash in the pool and horror-filled screams of several girls stole Nate's attention.

Chuck watched as Nate sprung into action, diving into the pool to retrieve their fallen classmate.

"Help!" Nate yelled. "Someone call an ambulance!"

"Someone call 911!" he heard Humphrey call out.

Chuck looked around and spotted Blair off to the side of the crowd that had gathered at the edge of the pool. Quickly he took off towards her.

"Get your things, we need to go," he whispered to her as he gently pulled her away from the others by the arm. He could hear Serena giving the 911 dispatcher the address.

She nodded in fear as he led her to where they had stashed their belongings earlier. "Do you think he'll be okay?" she quietly whispered to him.

"I don't know," he fearfully admitted as they heard an ambulance approaching outside. "But we need to leave – now. I'm not getting in trouble again the day my dad gets back in town and you're not getting screwed out of Yale because this."

Blair nodded as she grabbed what she could.

"Grab Serena and head out the back way – I'll meet you there," he told her as he gave her a quick kiss on the forehead. She looked at him with fearful eyes. "I'll be right there – go!" he urged her.

_Where did she put it?_ He wondered as he quickly searched around for the key they used to enter.

If anyone found it, that could link them back to there, which was not what they needed. Fortunately, he soon spied it amongst their makeshift bar. Snatching it up, he made it out of the room just before the paramedics arrived.

* * *

Despite his efforts though, a large chunk of their class was called into a large meeting room the next day.

"Thanks to the cell phone somebody left behind we've got plenty of evidence of who was at the party," the Headmaster of St. Jude's explained as he flipped through a slideshow presentation of photos from the day before. Blair squirmed in her seat as a photo of her with some of her minions toasting martini glasses in the pool popped up.

"Lucky for you, Andrew Collins is going to be fine. Unlucky for you, we need to hold somebody responsible. Miss Queller..." he motioned to the woman standing next to him.

"Hello. I'm Miss Queller, the new headmistress at Constance," the woman spoke. "It's unfortunate that we meet under these circumstances... but I look forward to getting to know each and every one of you. I've already talked to your parents... at least those I could reach and look forward to reading your personal essays. Ten-thousand words describing how you came to be on school property after hours, using alcohol and drugs, where a fellow student almost died." she paused, looking around the room before continuing. "In other words: What the hell is wrong with you?! I'll also be conducting one on one interviews until I discover who broke into the pool and initiated the party... that person will be expelled. If that person is not identified then you all face expulsion."

"Great," Chuck sighed to himself. So within less than twenty four hours of his father being back in town, he was already made aware that Chuck was under suspicion and there was the ever looming threat of potential expulsion. If he got expelled he knew his father would threaten once again to send him to military school.

* * *

"Alright, so we all know how this works?" Blair questioned, turning to face the bulk of them as soon as they were all outside.

"No one talks, no one gets in trouble," Chuck took his place next to her, clarifying to everyone, just to make sure they were all on the same page. "None of us wants to face expulsion," he added.

"Who did break in, anyway?" Nate wondered aloud.

"Well, I guess that means we don't have to worry about Nathaniel cracking under pressure," Chuck joked, trying to lighten the mood a little bit.

"So, we all agree?" Blair asked. Looking around, everyone seemed to be nodding in agreement. Everyone except Serena who was a bit hesitant and of course Dan.

"Agreed," Serena finally said.

"Look, Blair, I know you have your sight set on Yale but this 'Skull and Bones' stuff is a bit much, don't you think?" Dan questioned her authority.

"Maybe... but it works – every time," she informed him as she turned to head back inside, taking Chuck's hand in hers. "Essay writing party at my place later tonight!" she called out to everyone.

* * *

As she figured, Blair was one of the first to be questioned by the new headmistress.

"I reviewed your record, Miss Waldorf... it's pristine. If Constance has a shining star, it's you. I would never have expected this from you," Headmistress Queller told her.

"I know. I'm the perfect one..." Blair sighed.

"Miss Waldorf, who broke into the pool?" the headmistress asked her point blankly.

"Like you said, my unfortunate participation in said party was entirely out of character. I don't know anything about it," Blair lied, innocently.

"You're dismissed, Miss Waldorf."

"Thank you, Headmistress Queller," Blair said as she stood to her feet. "It was a pleasure meeting you," she added sweetly with a smile as she made her way to the exit.

_This is going to be cake_, she thought.

* * *

Chuck was making his way to the courtyard after his last class to meet up with Blair when he spied Nate sitting at one of the tables, writing.

"You're taking that essay pretty seriously," Chuck remarked as he sat down next to Nate.

"It's not the essay, Chuck, it's..." he paused before continuing, taking a deep breath. "It's a heartfelt letter to Blair."

Chuck cocked his head to the side with a look of disbelief on his face. "Really, Nathaniel? Really? Come on!"

"What? I just... I still care about her and I feel like she really needs to know how you can be..." Nate admitted.

"Look, we didn't get to finish our conversation last night..."

"I didn't think there was really much to say, Chuck," Nate interrupted.

"Can you and everyone else _please_ just STOP putting these ideas in her head? I know it may be hard to believe, but I really do care about her. A lot. In fact, I think I'm..." he stopped. He wasn't quite ready to admit to Nate that he thought he was in love with Blair. He could barely admit it to himself. "Look, you had your chance with her – _for years_ – and you blew it. Can you _please_ just back off and accept that it's my time now to have a chance with her? I know my rapport, but this time things are different – everything is different with her. And clearly I'm making her happy, in case you haven't noticed."

Nate paused and thought about what Chuck had just said. "She has seemed happier these past few months," he admitted. "Alright man, if you say things really are different this time, I'll back off for now. But if you hurt her at all, in any way, if you cheat on her-"

"I won't!" Chuck interrupted.

"But if you do, all bets are off and I'll never be able to forgive you, alright? We cool?" he asked.

"We're cool," Chuck answered with a nod.

"Alright, man," Nate said, as he crumpled up his letter to Blair in a ball and tossed it towards the trashcan, giving his best friend a brotherly hug instead. "Glad that's over with – I've missed you this past month!"

"Yeah, it's been a little weird hanging out with just Blair and Serena lately..." Chuck admitted. "Although Serena's little brother isn't too bad..."

"Not gonna lie though, you and Blair... and _you -_ actually in a relationship?! That's gonna take some getting used to!" Nate stated with a friendly laugh. "And what's this I hear about your dad and Serena's? Did Bart really propose?!"

"Yeah! It was the weirdest Christmas breakfast..." Chuck began. "Here, why don't I tell you about it over a joint?" he suggested as him and Nate made their way off school property. He relaxed as they carried on their conversation like best friends who were merely catching up from over break instead of coming off a spat over a girl.

While Nate carried on about his awkward family holiday, Chuck quickly sent Blair a text.

_Made up with N, all is good... for now. Going 2 smoke a J like old times. C U ur place in a bit._

_-C_

Moments later she texted him back:

_Glad 2 hear! C U soon! 3 B_

He smiled at the heart next to her initial, hopeful that she had the same feelings for him that he was too afraid to admit he had for her.

* * *

"I thought we were going to work on our papers?" Blair overheard Dan question with a hint of annoyance in his voice.

"We are!" Blair shot back at him as she walked by with a tray of drinks in her hands. "One night at Balvokay, Courtney made out with a guy in the Cornell ethics program... they're getting us tips now," she informed him. It was then the female troll that accompanied him caught her eye. "Hey! I thought I told you you couldn't film in here!" she snapped at Vanessa who had her camera rolling away.

Blair sighed in frustration. "S! Come here!" she commanded Serena, over to a corner. "You are so naive! Can't you see Michael Moore over there is obviously just using this film to get close to Dan?"

"No she's not – she needs the grant, B," Serena protested.

Blair shook her head in disbelief. "Whatever, S... don't say I didn't warn you," she said as she turned to walk away. She only got a few feet away before she spied Chuck laying on the chaise lounger, handling the key to the pool.

"Chuck!" Blair hissed as she quickly approached him. "What are you doing with that here?! It's evidence!"

"I know! Why do you think I took it? We very well couldn't have just left it at the pool – they could have sent it away for fingerprints and you know whose fingerprints they would have found on it, right? Yours, mine and Serena's!" he snapped back at her.

"Chuck, what's wrong?" Blair gently asked as she sat down in his lap, sliding an arm around his neck. "You're extra snappy right now - I thought things went well with Nate this afternoon?"

"They did, but it's not that," he sighed.

"Then what is it?" she questioned. "You know you can tell me anything," she added, looking deep into his brown eyes. She was surprised to see a hint of fear in them.

"We can't get expelled, Blair – we just can't. Too much is riding on this," he told her. "You can't risk losing Yale over this, and I... my father told me after the last time that if I get expelled one more time he's not buying my way back in – he'll ship me to military school. He was serious this time... and if that happens... I don't want to think about what would happen to us – I'm doing good that I've made it several months with you, but that's because you're around to keep me from straying. Going months without seeing you... I don't know if I can do that, Blair..." Chuck fearfully admitted. As much as he hated everyone assuming he was going to cheat on her, he was fully aware that if he had to go months without her he would most likely revert to his old ways.

"Chuck..." Blair gently said, running her fingers through his hair. "You don't have to worry about that – he's not going to send you off to military school because we're not going to get caught, okay?"

He solemnly nodded.

"Now, give me that key – I'll go put it somewhere safe," she assured him. As soon as he handed it over she leaned forward to give him a kiss before going upstairs to hide it.

As soon as Blair was gone, Dan approached Chuck.

"Chuck, you need to tell the truth," he told him.

"Whatever happened to 'don't speak until spoken to' Brooklyn?" Chuck asked in annoyance.

"I just saw you with that key. I know you had it at the party," Dan informed him.

"Poor little Humphrey-Dumpty... Look, let me clarify something for you - regardless of who you're currently sleeping with, you and I come from different worlds. In my world, if I'm suspended or expelled a wing is donated in the Bass name."

_Or at least up until now_, Chuck thought.

"That does sound like quite a world," Dan admitted.

"Well, it's not perfect, I admit. But one thing it does offer in spades is security. My family can take care of me. What do the Humphrey's have to offer? Used metro cards?" Chuck pointed out as he got up to go find Blair. "And in case you're wondering, you narc - I only took the key from the party to hide it so we can't all get blamed... including you and Serena."

_If Serena and I are going to be family, I really hope she breaks up with the Brooklynite soon_, Chuck thought to himself.

It was then he spied the female version of Humphrey off in the corner near the stairs with her camera, pointed at him.

"How long have you been standing there, watching me, Docu-girl?" Chuck asked, curiously.

"Long enough to learn who it was that broke into the school," she stated matter of factly. "Is it true your dad will send you off to military school?"

"Alright, that's enough – hand it over," Chuck demanded, reaching for the camera.

"No! That's my footage," she yelled. "And my camera!" she cried as she tried to push Chuck's reach away from her.

"What's going on here?" Blair asked as she sauntered down the stairs.

"This uninvited guest was apparently filming our entire conversation just a little bit ago," Chuck informed her as he struggled to grab the camera out of Vanessa's grasp.

"What?!" Blair gasped. "This is _MY_ house! The tape belongs to me now!" she demanded.

"Actually, it's mine. And thanks to both of you, I think I have a new angle on my subject and can keep Dan out of trouble..." Vanessa declared, clutching her camera inside her jacket for dear life.

"Hey, Vanessa, let's get out of here," Dan said as he approached the trio by the stairs.

"If you think we'll just let you walk out of here with that tape you're crazy!" Chuck yelled as he reached for her arm, spinning her back around to face him and Blair.

"Hey!" Dan yelled back at him. "Last time I checked, I still owe you a black eye so unless this is you coming to claim it... stay away from her!"

Chuck watched as Dan quickly hurried Vanessa into the elevator. He sighed as he turned to face Blair, standing behind him on the stairs.

"Now what?" he wondered out loud to her.

"We have to get it back!" Blair remarked. "Not only is it incriminating to us, but it's also incriminating to Serena!"

Chuck nodded. They would have to think of something and quick.

"Come on," he told her as he passed her on the stairs, pulling her along on his way up.

"What are we doing, Chuck?" she questioned as she followed his lead.

"What we do best, Waldorf," he smirked at her as he led her to her room. "Scheme."

Blair sighed, "I thought we did something else best, Bass."

He turned and smiled at her with a gleam in his eye. "Okay, you're right... but the first best will have to take a backseat to the second best for now," he said as he opened her bedroom door. "As much as you know I'd love to participate in the first best, the second is more important right now."

Blair nodded. She knew they would get to the first best thing they did together soon enough.

* * *

The next morning, Chuck picked Blair up early and gave her a ride to school. Their plan was to find Vanessa before school and tag team her by playing good cop, Bass cop. Without much effort, they found her outside school, setting up her tripod.

"You're up first," Chuck told her, giving her a little nudge in the right direction.

Without hesitating, Blair marched right up to her latest nemesis. "May I have a word, off camera?" she asked.

"Eh, sure," Vanessa responded, flipping her camera off. "But I think I know what you are going to say and I can save you the indignity of groveling by telling you right now – there's no way you're getting that tape."

"I wasn't going to grovel and the fact that you even went there makes it clear that you have no idea who you're dealing with," Blair informed her.

"What are you gonna do to me, Blair? Blackmail me from eating yogurt on the Met's steps?" Vanessa taunted her. "You have nothing I need."

"You put that footage in your film you won't be able to show it. I won't sign a release," Blair stated.

"I'm not looking for a distribution deal... just a local art's grant so I can pay my rent," Vanessa explained. "Now if you excuse me... you're in my shot."

Blair let out a huff as she moved out of the way. She decided to try another approach.

"Look Vanessa, you can't show that tape to anyone," Blair calmly told her.

"And why is that?" Vanessa snapped.

"Because if you do... you'll get Serena expelled and Dan will hate you forever if you did that! And not like you care, but my dreams of going to Yale will go down the toilet and Chuck... his father will send him off to military school," Blair sadly explained, hoping Vanessa would maybe be sympathetic.

"You're right – I don't care. If any of that was so important to you guys, maybe you shouldn't have broken into the school in the first place," Vanessa retorted. "Now move! You're in my way."

Blair stomped off towards Chuck in the frustration.

"Your turn!" she growled.

He couldn't help but grin at her frustration. Her tact when it came to dealing with someone like the female Brooklynite was lacking.

He gently tapped the girl from Brooklyn on the shoulder once he approached her. When she turned around he pulled out a rather large wad of cash.

"What's that? Your stripper money? She quipped at him.

Chuck rolled his eyes. "I haven't been to the strip club in months – it's ten thousand dollars, for the tape," he informed her.

"And you really think I'll take your money?" she asked suspiciously.

"Yes, I do," he told her. "I know girls like you. You act like money isn't important... but the truth is - money is important to everyone."

"And I thought Blair was manipulative, " she muttered to herself.

"Blair is an amateur," Chuck pointed out. "She thinks you're just like her. To Blair, this means a couple pairs of Manolo's and a Chanel bag but I know this much cash could make a real difference in your life."

He held the roll of bills out towards her, waiting for her to take it. After a moment of hesitation, he watched her pop the tape out of her camera.

"You're sick, you know that?" she remarked as she handed him the tape while accepting the money.

"I know," he smiled as he securely pocketed the tape and turned to walk back towards Blair, who was watching him with her jaw open wide.

"Oh don't look so surprised, Waldorf," he commented as he put an arm around her and began walking her towards the entrance. "You know money talks."

* * *

They didn't even make it to lunch before they were all assembled in a meeting room once again, just like the day before.

"Yesterday I talked about serious consequences for your dishonorable actions and obviously you didn't believe me," the Headmistress began. "But someone came forward today and claimed responsibility..."

"Do you know who?" Serena turned and whispered to Blair. Blair shook her head no, but looked over at Chuck who merely shrugged.

"... for a crime he did not commit," she continued. "And although I appreciate his self-sacrifice, I don't appreciate dishonesty. And I think it's time you all know how serious I am. Nathaniel Archibald is suspended from St. Jude's. And yes, this will go on his transcript - effective immediately. Mr. Archibald, you know where to find the exit," she said, dismissing him.

Whispers could be heard as everyone watched Nate take a walk of shame out of the room.

"Watch him go, students," Headmistress Queller told them. "Who wants to be next? Until one of you comes forward, we'll keep going until every last one of you has walked out that door."

* * *

"I can't believe he did that!" Blair exclaimed to Chuck as soon as they were out of the room.

"I know," he agreed with her as they hurried down the hallway together. "Let's go find him."

"I'm coming with you guys," they heard Serena chime in from behind them.

* * *

"Nate, are you okay?" Blair asked as her, Chuck and Serena approached him outside in the courtyard.

"Yeah, what was that about?" Chuck questioned his best friend.

"I'll be fine. My parents have so much other stuff going on right now... they'll get over it," he told them. "Either way it was worth it."

"Worth it?" Serena inquired. "Nate... what are you talking about?

"Well, Blair, I still care about you and I know how much your future means to you. You worked so hard for Yale and everything..."

"Nathaniel..." Chuck warned him. He had an idea as to what his supposed best friend was up to. "You said you were going to back off..."

"What? You weren't doing anything about it! And Blair, you don't have to lie. I saw the key in your bedroom!" Nate defended himself.

Blair sighed. "Nate! That key isn't mine. Granted, the three of us know who it really belongs to and who initiated the party, but I was merely hiding it for someone else!" she explained to him. "Wait... that's why you were suspended? You told the headmistress it was yours because you thought it was mine? That's... actually kind of sweet..."

Chuck facepalmed. He couldn't believe Nate. No, wait. Yes, he could.

"Chuck, I didn't do it for the reason you're thinking," Nate told him as he could clearly see the wheels of thought spinning in Chuck's brain. "I merely did what I did to try and keep her out of trouble – I would have done the same thing for you or Serena... in fact, I recall covering for you once before, Chuck..." Nate pointed out.

"Fine," Chuck conceded to Nate's excuse. Given his friend's tract record, it was something he could see him doing, and he was right, he had covered for Chuck once before when his father was threatening him with military school.

"But really, who's key is it? Who initiated the party?" Nate asked yet again.

Serena, Chuck and Blair all sighed at once before turning to walk away.

"Oh c'mon, guys! Tell me!" Nate begged to no avail.

"Come on, let's head to class," Chuck leaned over and whispered to Blair. Sometimes Nate was just a lost cause.

* * *

Chuck couldn't help but overhear Serena talking to Lily on the phone in the courtyard after classes that afternoon.

"Your position at that school is already too precarious... one false move and you know what? I can't do anything to help you!" he heard Lily tell her.

"I know mom, I know..." he heard Serena plead as he noticed her gazing across the courtyard at Dan. "Yeah... I think I might be home a little late this afternoon – there's something I still need to do here," he heard her say. This was not looking good.

_She's going to crack_, Chuck thought to himself, _and then we're all going to be in trouble_.

He whipped out his phone and dialed a number he seldom called.

"Father? Sorry for bothering you, but I need a favor..." Chuck told his dad. "No, this time I'm not the one in trouble, yet... it's Serena... I know Lily won't ask but I just overheard her say that if Serena gets expelled, she doesn't think she can get her back in... yes... yes, Father... I understand... you're welcome." Chuck let out a deep breath as he hung up the phone.

"Hey, handsome – everything okay?" he heard Blair ask him as she walked up to him and slid her arms around him.

"It is now," he smiled as he took off his scarf and wrapped it around her. It matched the red in her beret. Blair smiled at his gesture as he leaned down and gave her a kiss. She couldn't recall there ever being a time that Chuck let anyone wear his scarf.

With one fell swoop he lifted her up into his arms and carried her towards the limo, with Blair giggling like the schoolgirl she was the entire way.

Everything was going to be alright. No one else was getting suspended, no one was getting expelled. Blair wouldn't have Yale threatened and he wouldn't have to worry about military school.

"Come on," he told her with a smirk as he helped her into the limo. "Let's do the first thing we do best together."

* * *

Chuck had been in the middle of what turned out to be an exhausting afternoon at Blair's when he got the text from his father to be at the Van der Woodsen's suite in time for dinner that night.

"Son! So glad you decided to join us!" Bart greeted Chuck as he arrived not a moment too soon.

"Now that everyone is here, I just wanted to say that it is a rare occasion to celebrate the merging of two families and I couldn't be happier to be here tonight to celebrate Lily's acceptance of my proposal!" Bart announced. "So, to my lovely bride and our growing family!"

"Mom looks about as happy as grandma at last call," Chuck overheard Erik telling Serena.

"I know!" he heard her gasp. "Seems Bart's personality or lack thereof is contagious. I don't even know how she breathes with her blouse buttoned that high!"

He couldn't help but chuckle. "How glad are you to see our families merge, sis?" he taunted her.

"So glad that if you ever call me that again it will be the last thing you ever say, Chuck," she retorted.

"I love it!" he remarked. "Our first brother-sister squabble... I hope you're going to make yourself available for more missed childhood memories... bathing together for example..."

"Chuck, stop being gross or I'll tell Blair!" she threatened as she walked away from him. He rolled his eyes.

_Too easy_, he thought to himself.

He pulled out his phone to text Blair.

_It's official – start finding perfect dress. Bart & Lily 2 wed, S & I become siblings. Wish u were here._

_-C_

He then went to retrieve a drink, joining his father and a sober looking Serena on the couch.

"Sorry I couldn't get the charges completely dropped, but at least I got you a minimal sentence," he heard his father inform her as he sat down on her other side.

"Hey, I was just looking out for my family," Chuck explained to her. "The new van der Woodsen/Bass library should be completed in time for Erik's graduation!" he joked.

"I can see that Lily and I are going to have our hands full with the two of you," Bart chimed in as he got up to go elsewhere.

"Chuck! How could you? I was trying to do the right thing and prove to the Dan that I don't get special privileges by accepting the punishment!" Serena cried.

"Yeah, but you do and it was obvious you were going to crack - I couldn't run the risk of you accidentally taking Blair and I down with you depending on how much information you divulged."

Serena sighed. She hated to admit it, but she knew he was right. Regardless, she wasn't too happy he had gotten his dad to intervene.

"Excuse me," she told him. "I need some air."

"Better get used to it, sis! We're family now!" he called after her as he laughed.

But she had already left the suite.

Chuck could tell this was going to be the beginning of a beautiful, typical sibling relationship. And he looked forward to it.

* * *

_A/N: Thanks for reading! And please leave a review - I get excited when I refresh the page and see that a new review has been left! =) Plus, if you like this alternate take so far on the whole series, be sure to check out my other stories that feature alternate (and IMO better) endings for Chair in certain episodes!_

_Be sure to check back within the next week or follow for the next chapter, where Gossip Girl spreads the pregnancy rumor - how do you think Nate will react to the possibly that Chuck knocked up Blair? Or better yet, how do you think Chuck will react to the possibly that he may be a father?_

_I think after the next chapter I'm going to skip forward a little bit to the Georgina drama and take down and then Bart and Lily's wedding since not much else was going on with Chair the rest of the season up until then (plus I'm anxious to get to the season 2 storylines as so much happens and I've already written quite a bit of it!)._


	6. Chapter 6 -And Baby Makes Complicated

Blair was sitting on The Met steps eating her lunch while Kati and Iz were rambling on about something when her phone buzzed, letting her know she had an incoming text message.

_R U avoiding me? -C_

Blair sighed as she flipped her phone shut without responding.

The truth was that she really was avoiding Chuck.

She had been avoiding him ever since earlier in the week when she mentioned to Serena that she was several weeks late and Serena put the idea in her head that she might actually be pregnant. Her last period did finish just days before she first hooked up with Chuck, so it was entirely possible.

And it scared her.

Serena may have taken the bullet for her earlier when Gossip Girl sent the blast that she was seen buying pregnancy tests, but it was only a matter of time until the truth came out.

And she wasn't ready for it.

She wasn't ready to be a mother – she still had to finish high school and then there was Yale... no way was a child in her plans for the near future!

And then there was Chuck.

She wasn't ready to tell him.

Given how uninvolved his father had been in his life, there was no way she could see him stepping up to the plate and being a decent father anytime soon. They were still just kids when it came down to it. She knew he would freak out if she told him there was even the slightest possibility she could be pregnant. If she was going to tell him, she needed to know for sure. And until then, as much as she missed being with him, she needed to avoid him for now.

"Hi!" Blair was pulled from her thoughts as a young bubbly blonde strode up to them.

"Jenny, hello!" Iz greeted her in return.

"You're late," Blair reminded her.

"Yeah, I know – I had to drop some books off at the library. Sorry!" Jenny apologized.

"Will you do me a favor?" Blair asked her.

"Anything," Jenny replied eagerly.

"Will you move down a couple steps? Blair requested with an evil smile.

"You know, this whole hazing thing is getting a bit old, don't you think, B?" Jenny questioned as she moved down a single step.

"First of all, the hazing stops when I say it stops," Blair stated in annoyance, "and for future reference, only my friends call me B."

"You know... I'm actually gonna go – I have a lot of stuff to do before class," Jenny decided as she got up to leave.

"Jenny..." Iz called after her.

"Oh please – she'll be back," Blair said. She was relieved Jenny decided to go, as she really wasn't in the mood to deal with her.

Just then Serena approached the group.

"Hey guys!" she greeted them, only to be met with awkward silence and stares. "I'm not pregnant!" she added.

"Congrats..." a bunch of the girls muttered. "Celebratory drinks after school?" Hazel asked.

"Yeah, sure..." Serena said before turning to Blair. "B, can I talk to you?"

"Of course... excuse me," she told her minions as she got up to follow Serena so they could speak in the private.

"Did you get my text?" Serena asked as soon as they were alone.

"Yes..."

"So you know I told Dan I'm not pregnant?"

"Yes, and I am so happy for you – that was a close call, huh?" Blair played it off in case someone might be eavesdropping on them.

"Are we really going to play this game, B?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about, S..."

"Whenever something happens that isn't a part of your plan you pretend like it doesn't exist – you act like you're in this movie about your perfect life, but then I have to remind you that the only one watching that movie is you, B!"

Blair just shrugged, so what if Serena was right. If she didn't acknowledge it, it couldn't be true, right?

"You admitted your period was late," Serena reminded her.

"Yes... but I've been stressed out over that Chem test..." Blair excused.

"By several weeks?" Serena added. Blair looked off in the distance, not wanting to acknowledge that part. "And you're acting like a total bitch because maybe you're hormonal?" Serena went on.

"Well maybe I am a total bitch – did you ever consider that?" Blair snapped.

_Why was Serena so insistent on this?_

After a brief stare down, Serena discreetly pulled a box of pregnancy tests out of her bag. Blair's jaw nearly dropped

"Take the test, B," Serena pushed the box towards her.

"Stop it!" she hissed, pushing the box away.

"Just take the test!" Serena urged again. "You need to know if you and Chuck are going to have a baby!"

Blair quickly snatched the box and shoved it down in her bag before anyone passing by witnessed the exchange and could snap a photo to send to Gossip Girl. She couldn't believe Serena would confront her like that in a place so public.

_Had the blast that morning not taught her anything about being discreet and careful?_

The last thing she needed was for Chuck to find out via a blast before she could tell him herself.

* * *

"Hey, Blair!" she heard Nate call out to her in the courtyard as she passed by on her way to her next class.

"Hey, Nate! How's it going?" she stopped for a moment to catch up with him.

"Not too bad... planning on seeing my dad this weekend – care to join me?" he asked.

"Really? Are you sure that's a good idea? I wouldn't want to give your dad the wrong impression..."

"Yeah, it's just a little uncomfortable for me to go alone, plus my dad loves you – you always know how to make him laugh... it'd be good for him to see you," Nate told her.

"Um... yeah, okay, maybe," she replied.

"You and Chuck have plans?" he inquired.

"Not really..."

"Is everything okay with you guys? I couldn't help but notice you've been avoiding him..."

"I am not," she snapped.

"Really? Cuz that's not what he's saying..." Nate informed her.

"I just..."

"Hey, man!" Nate interrupted, calling out to someone approaching from behind her.

"Nathaniel..." she heard a low voice respond in greeting, from right behind her. "And there she is..." Chuck added as he wrapped his arms around her from behind, planting a kiss on her cheek. "If I didn't know any better, I would think you were avoiding me this week," he whispered in her ear.

"I'm not... avoiding you," she quietly replied. Being in his presence was making her nervous. She was afraid she would slip and blurt out what she feared might be true.

"Oh? Because it's Thursday and I've hardly seen my girlfriend the past few days and she hasn't been responding to my texts..." he stated as he began kissing on her neck. "If you're not avoiding me, then what is it, Waldorf?"

"Uh..." Blair tried to push aside the rush of desire she was beginning to feel in order to think of a quick way to get out of the situation and away from him as soon as possible. "Oh wow! Look at the time! I need to get to class early to, uh... go over notes with my teacher!" she lied as she pulled out of his embrace. "We'll talk later," she said as she gave him a quick kiss on the lips goodbye, hoping that would satisfy his suspicions for the meantime. "I promise!"

_That was close_, she thought to herself as she quickly hurried away from Chuck and Nate.

* * *

"What was that about?" Nate wondered as him and Chuck both watched in shock as Blair rushed into the school.

"I have no idea! Like I said, if I didn't know any better I would think she was avoiding me for some reason... but what that reason is, I haven't the slightest clue," Chuck admitted. "Did she say anything to you?"

"Nope... I got nothing." Nate told him. "How long has this been going on?"

"All week – we were fine Monday, although she spent the afternoon with Serena instead of with me like we usually do after school, but you and I shot some hoops so I didn't mind... but then Tuesday it's like I have the plague or something and she wants nothing to do with me. I don't know what happened and she won't talk to me."

"You said you guys were fine Monday, she hung out with Serena and then Tuesday is when she started acting weird?" Nate asked to verify.

"Yeah..."

"I think maybe you need to talk to your future step-sister and find out what happened Monday afternoon," Nate suggested.

"Yeah, I think so too," Chuck added. Fortunately for him, Bart and Lily were having another family get together that night for dessert so he'd have his chance to talk to her then.

* * *

"Hey, B," Serena said as she let herself into the bedroom.

"What are you doing here?" Blair sighed as she sat up on the bed and put down her homework.

"I was in the neighborhood?" Serena made an excuse.

"Can we talk later? Despite your best efforts to ruin it, I'm actually have a pretty good day and I don't want anything to spoil it," Blair informed her. "Guess who asked me to visit The Captain with him?"

"Oh I don't know... Nate, maybe?" Serena rolled her eyes. She was getting tired of Blair avoiding the inevitable.

"Yes! Isn't that great? It shows he's making an effort to just be friends with me and is attempting to accept that I've moved on," Blair gushed.

"Look, B... I understand why you're so reluctant to burst your happy bubble, but I'm not giving up and ignoring the situation isn't going to make it go away!" Serena reminded her yet again.

"Well I'm sorry, but unlike some people I haven't been on the pill since I was fifteen..."

"Alright, I am giving up – but before you go about living your happy, perfect life don't you think you should at least make sure-"

"I'm not pregnant, Serena!" Blair blurted out. " Or at least I can't be..." she added quietly as she watched her best friend storm out of the room.

This was one potential problem she really didn't want to face.

* * *

"Chuck, can we... talk for a second, in private?" Serena asked him after she had finished her fine custard dish.

"About how you got knocked up, sis?" he questioned with a raised eyebrow. "I must say, I was a little surprised you and Hum-drum Humphrey weren't more careful."

"Chuck, this is serious," she snapped. "And no, I'm not pregnant," she said in a lower voice, making sure her mother hadn't heard from across the room. "My room, now."

"Sounds kinky," he responded as he got up to follow her, "But since you insist... there is something I wanted to talk to you about as well..."

"Okay, but me first," she said as she closed the door behind him. "Chuck, I really need to know that I can trust you – I'm really hoping that deep down inside you're a decent person like Blair keeps saying you are and that you won't make me regret this."

"You're here for Blair, aren't you?" he remarked. "You know why she's been avoiding me, don't you?"

Serena looked away, giving him all the answer he needed.

"You do know... Serena, c'mon, I need to know – that's what I wanted to talk to you about. What's going on with her? Why has she been avoiding me ever since you two hung out on Monday? Did you put some idea into her head about me-"

"Chuck, the pregnancy test wasn't for me – it was for Blair!" Serena blurted out.

"What?!" he was taken aback.

"That's why she's been avoiding you all week – she confessed to me on Monday that she was late by quite a bit and I suggested the possibility that she might be pregnant," Serena explained. "But she refuses to take the test so I was thinking that given you would be the father- "

"No – we used condoms," he declared as he ran his hand through his hair in disbelief. This wasn't happening.

"Well obviously one broke!" Serena snapped at him.

"No... I..." Chuck stuttered in an attempt to make a coherent sentence. "Why didn't she tell me?" he wondered.

"She's scared, Chuck, so she's avoiding finding out the truth because to her, it isn't part of her perfect life plan and if she doesn't know for sure, the problem doesn't exist..."

"But like you said, it hasn't been confirmed yet?"

"No, but only because she refuses to take the test..."

"But there is still the possibility that she isn't?" Chuck said, hopeful.

"Well... yeah, I suppose, but Chuck, all signs are indicating that she-"

"I... need to go," Chuck told her. "If my father asks, just tell him I had something come up," he added as he got up and rushed out the door. "And Serena – thanks for telling me," he said before vanishing around the corner.

What he really needed was to talk to Blair, but since she was still avoiding him, that obviously wasn't going to be an option. Instead, he decided to head up to his suite and mull over the possibility that he might be a teenage father with his favorite bottle of scotch.

He would confront her before school tomorrow morning, whether she wanted to talk to him or not.

* * *

"Good morning!" Serena said cheerfully as she walked in on Blair eating grapes for breakfast.

"Morning..." Blair replied cautiously, not knowing why Serena was there so early.

"Has anyone noticed the weather today? Serena questioned.

"What?" Blair hissed.

"My first response would be that the sky is a clear blue, easy!" Serena declared.

"Dorota... you may be excused..." Blair swiftly told the maid. "What are you doing!?" she demanded once Dorota was out of earshot.

"Did you take the test yet?"

"Serena, I told you-"

"B, just take the test already! If not for you, for me!" Serena cried. "I took another bullet for you, this time in front of the whole school AND Dan and you don't even have the courtesy to simply take it!"

"I never asked you to go get it!" Blair yelled back at her.

"But I did, because I care about you, B!" Serena shrieked.

"What's going on?" Eleanor asked as she overheard the commotion from the kitchen.

"Ask Blair – her version of the story is always better," Serena quipped as she got up to leave.

"Are you alright?" her mother questioned.

"Never been better, mother," Blair responded.

"Well Serena certainly has... what's wrong?" Eleanor pried.

"I don't know!" Blair remarked. "I can't be held responsible for her mood swings!"

"Were you arguing about the possibility that your... condition may have returned?"

"No!" Blair protested. "And it hasn't!"

"Blair... I heard you, in your bathroom the other day, with the water running..."

"I've been very stressed, okay mother?" Blair tried to make an excuse. The truth was that she was afraid to admit that she thought she might have had a case of morning sickness. "With you and Serena both down my throat I can hardly think straight, let alone keep food down!"

"Maybe you just need to take a little break, hm? Maybe visit your father – Lyon is beautiful this time of year..." her mother suggested.

"Maybe this summer!"

"Summer... sounds great," her mother agreed. "Finish your breakfast," she added as she made her way towards the stairs.

_Great, now mom thinks I'm bulimic again_, she thought to herself as she popped another grape into her mouth. _Maybe you should take the test, get it over with..._ she let out a deep sigh as she conceded to taking it.

Once she finished her breakfast she made her way upstairs to get ready for school, but not before sliding out the box of pregnancy tests she had shoved into her bag the day before.

"I'm not pregnant," she said to herself as she waited. "I command myself not to be pregnant."

Three minutes seemed like an eternity, but once the test displayed her results, she knew she needed to call Serena right away.

"S? It's me," Blair started. "Two things – first, I'm sorry... about Dan, about the Gossip Girl blast, about not taking the test right away... you were just so hard on me about everything..."

"It's okay, B – I understand," Serena told her.

"Really? That was fast," Blair said, a bit confused. "If I were you I would have made me work a little harder for it."

"I think you've suffered enough," Serena smiled.

"And second thing-"

"Wait, that's already like three things!" Serena pointed out.

"Whatever... S, I took the test... well, all three of them actually..."

"Really, B? And?!"

"Looks like you might be an Aunt..." Blair whispered shyly into the phone.

"What?! Omg! B!" Serena gasped. "Are you going to be okay? Do you need me to come back over?"

"No, S... I'll just see you at school in a bit... I don't know what I'm going to do, but I suppose I should probably start by telling Chuck – I can't keep avoiding him forever, especially if he's going to be the father of my child," Blair sighed. She couldn't believe this was happening. With each test she took, she hoped maybe the last one was just a false positive, but three big fat plus signs just kept staring her in the face.

* * *

_Just my luck_, she thought as she saw Chuck waiting outside the school courtyard as she walked along the sidewalk. She noticed as she rushed past him he immediately put out the joint he was smoking.

"Don't stop on my account," she quipped.

"But I have to," he began to explain as he followed to catch up to her. "Second hand smoke might be bad for the-"

"Don't say it!" she snapped quietly at him as she suddenly turned around, pushing him into a nearby alcove.

"So it's true?" he questioned looking into her eyes longingly as he gently placed a hand on her stomach.

"How do you know?" Blair asked, confused, looking around to see if Serena maybe had spoken to Chuck already as she pushed his hand off her abdomen. "And don't! Someone might see... I don't want this on Gossip Girl yet!" she hissed.

"Serena told me last night at a little Van der Bass family gathering that you thought you might be... that that was why you had been avoiding me all week..."

"Well I just found out this morning," she informed him. "Hi..." she waved to someone who had passed them by as she slipped her arms around Chuck's neck, trying to make it look as if nothing was out of the ordinary for them. Chuck followed suit and wrapped his arms around her waist, despite Blair keeping a bit of a distance between them.

"Look, Blair... you know I have enough money, we can go get it taken care of right away – after school even if you want-" Chuck started.

"Chuck Bass! How dare you just assume-" Blair snapped angrily, interrupting him.

"I'm only saying, if that's what you want!" he continued. "The reality is, neither of us are prepared for this! Are you sure you want to pass on Yale because of this? And God only knows what kind of father I would be... I don't know about you, but I'm definitely not ready to find out!"

Blair sighed. "Just throw money at the problem, right Chuck? Cuz money solves everything, doesn't it?!" she yelled at him as she pulled away. "Just forget it... thanks for the offer, and while you've made it clear you don't want this child, I'm not entirely sure I feel the same way. But if I do keep it, you don't have to be involved if you really don't want to, Chuck!"

_How dare he!_ She thought to herself as she stormed away from him.

"Blair..." he called out after her, but it was too late. He sighed as he slumped against the wall. The thought had never occurred to him that maybe she would want his child. He found the thought of anyone wanting a child with him to be surprising.

* * *

Classes were just letting out for the day when the blast hit.

_Well, well – looks like our Virgin Queen B isn't quite so Virgin! Turns out, S was merely running an errand for B yesterday – my bad! Seems Bass swims fast in your waters, B! But Cotillion wasn't _that_ long ago... and despite C's offer, well, Papa Don't Preach – B's keeping her baby._

"Oh my god!" Blair gasped in the hallway. "How did she find out!?" Looking around, all eyes were suddenly on her. She needed to get out of there, fast.

Unfortunately she made the mistake of walking out into the courtyard, where the whispers were all around her.

"Have you seen Chuck? Or Serena?" Blair asked Kati as she walked by.

"No, Blair," Kati said with an attitude.

Blair took one last look around before she fled from the courtyard, holding back tears.

* * *

Chuck had seen the blast as well and ran out front as fast he could, in hopes of catching Blair before she left. He was completely oblivious to Nate rushing him from behind and slamming him down on the trunk of his limo.

"WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING MAN?!" Nate yelled as he pinned Chuck to the vehicle.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, Nathaniel, calm down!" Chuck held his hands out in protest.

"Is it true?!" Nate inquired.

"Is what true?" Chuck questioned.

"Is it true you two were sleeping together before Cotillion? And is it true you offered to get her an abortion?!" Nate cried.

"Yes, Nathaniel," Chuck sighed. "To both questions..."

Nate threw him back against the limo in anger as he let go and took a few steps back.

"What the hell, man?! When?!"

"When what?" Chuck spat as he dusted himself off.

"When did you start sleeping with her?!" Nate demanded to know.

"Well... she figures she's about 6-8 weeks along..."

"When – just tell me!"

"The night you two broke up, the night before her birthday party," Chuck admitted. "But you two were broken up!" he yelled out, reminding Nate.

"I can't believe you! Screwing Blair for sport... and then you go and knock her up! Do you even care about her?!"

"Yes! Of course I care about her! Hell, I think I love her! No... I know I love her!" Chuck confessed. "Why do you think I offered to get it taken care of? We both know how important Yale is to her – I didn't think she'd want to throw away that dream for a mistake!" he explained. "And it was never for sport! She needed someone and I was there..."

"Wait, wait, wait...You love her?" Nate questioned. "Chuck... do you even know what that means?"

"I don't know, Nathaniel," he replied, "But I know I've never felt this way about any other girl I've been with – like I told you, things are different with her."

"Have you told her?"

"No... not yet... I just... I don't know why I haven't, but for some reason I can't. Not yet at least," he remarked.

Nate looked at him in disbelief. "Look... I know I said I could try and accept you two together, but this is just too much for me to take in right now..."

"Look, I'm sorry this is how things turned out, and I know how long we've been best friends, Nathaniel..."

Nate shook his head, "Chuck, I'm sorry too, but I... I just can't do this," he said as he turned and walked away, leaving Chuck standing alone in the center of a crowd that had gathered to view their little squabble.

"Nathaniel!" Chuck called after him.

"I said I can't, Chuck!"

_First Blair, now Nathaniel..._ he thought. In a matter of hours his life had gotten flipped completely upside down.

"Show's over!" he yelled at the crowd as he ducked into his limo and slammed the door shut. His eyes began to well up at the thought of not only losing his best friend for good but also at the possibility that the love of his life never wanted to speak to him again too.

* * *

Blair and her minions had reservations for the evening at Butter. She figured a night out with the girls would help distract her. After all, they always had her back – they had to or she would banish them from The Met steps at lunchtime.

Unfortunately she showed up at the same time as Little J.

"What are you doing here?" Blair glared at her. "I don't recall inviting you."

"Uh, I was just leaving..." Jenny remarked as she turned to leave.

"No, Jenny – stay!" Penelope requested before turning to Blair. "B, given the fact that you can barely handle your own messy affairs, I don't think you're in any position to tell someone where they can and can't eat."

"Excuse me?" Blair was shocked, "Do you realize who you're talking to?"

"You mean a self-righteous bitch who always sits on her high horse, judging everyone else?" Hazel retorted.

"Not to mention a pregnant little hypocrite," Penelope added.

"That's really none of your business..." Blair hissed.

"Chuck must be so proud," Penelope remarked.

"And poor Nate," Hazel quipped.

"What are you talking about?" Blair snapped.

"The whole school witnessed the two of them throwing down over your cheap ass earlier this afternoon," Hazel informed her.

"The boyfriend and the best friend, fighting over you..." Penelope pointed out.

"Pretty classy, B – way to ruin their friendship!" Hazel said.

"Consider yourself dethroned, Queen B," Penelope told her. "Come on, girls – let's eat," she said to the others, leaving Blair to herself.

Blair gasped. She couldn't believe it – they were supposed to have her back. She'd make them pay for their disrespect someday. For now, she needed to get away and escape this nightmare.

* * *

"Are you okay?" her mother inquired as she entered the penthouse, looking like a mess.

"I'd be a lot better if I could spend a semester or so abroad, studying in France," Blair told her as she fought back tears.

"A semester?" her mother asked in confirmation. Blair nodded. "Well, I already spoke to your father about you visiting... he said he was delighted..."

"So can I go?" Blair asked.

"Now?!"

"Mother, please... I beg you!"

"Blair... what is going on? I am very concerned..."

"So book a flight! Please!" Blair cried, throwing herself into her mother's lap.

"We'll get you out, tonight," Eleanor assured her.

"Thank you, mother! Thank you!" Blair sobbed in relief.

She had it all planned out, she would spend the entire semester and all summer in France, have the baby and go from there. If she decided to give it up, no one back home would be none the wiser. She knew her father would be a little disappointed in her at first, but eventually him and Roman would support her through this. They had to.

* * *

"Chuck!" Serena called as he heard her pounding on his door. "Chuck, I know you're in there – open up!"

He sat his glass of scotch down on the table and slowly got up from the couch and dragged himself to the door.

"What, sis?" he growled as he opened the door.

"How much have you had to drink? You look like hell..." Serena said to him.

"If you came by to insult me, you can leave," he snapped at her.

"Get your coat – you're coming with me,"

"Oh am I?" he questioned. "And just where am I... coming? Don't tell me you want me to knock you up too so you and Blair can bond over the trials of pregnancy."

Serena rolled her eyes. "In your dreams, Chuck – we're going to stop Blair. Her mother just texted me, she's waiting for a helicopter to take her to JFK – she's leaving for France tonight unless we do something!"

"She's what?!" Chuck gasped as he felt his heart leap in pain as a lump formed in his throat.

"She's running away, Chuck – we have to stop her!" Serena told him.

"Give me just a second," he said as he went to retrieve his shoes and coat. "Arthur, please pull the car around," he called his driver. While he knew Blair was upset by how he reacted earlier, he was in no way prepared for her to walk out of his life completely. He would fly to France himself if he had to.

* * *

"Blair!" Serena called as she stumbled out of the limo and across the helipad.

"What? You want a lift to JFK?" Blair snapped, seeing Serena there.

"Your mom said you were leaving for France tonight," Serena informed her.

"She has a big mouth..."

"Hey, I'm your best friend..."

"And I'm your boyfriend," Chuck said as he approached slowly.

Blair sighed. "What is he doing here? Don't you think you've caused me enough trouble, Bass?" she yelled over to him.

"Your mother was shocked we didn't know, B" Serena told her.

"Well now you know," Blair quipped.

"B, what I do know is how you felt when I left without telling you," Serena explained.

"Is there a reason you're both here?" Blair wondered, impatiently.

"Stay," Chuck requested, reaching to take her hand. "I know I may not have reacted in the best manner when you told me, but I'm willing to stand by your side no matter what you decide – just please, Blair, stay."

"That's just it, Chuck – I don't know what I want to do!" Blair cried, fighting back tears.

Chuck stepped forward, cupping a hand to her face and brushing away a few fallen tears. "We'll figure it out together," he told her as he kissed her gently on the cheek.

"B, don't let some stupid scandal make you runaway like it did me – like it does everyone in our world," Serena told her.

"But everything's horrible," Blair sobbed. "My whole life is falling apart..."

"So rebuild it!" Serena declared. "You're a Waldorf, remember? People don't tell you who you are, you tell them! Stay and fight – I'm here, Chuck's here... we'll fight with you. We'll get through this together!"

"But S... I'm soo... so embarrassed!" she cried as she buried her face into Chuck's chest. She felt his arms tighten around her as he kissed her forehead.

"So, what? Start over – it can be done! I should know..." Serena reminded her.

"We'll get through this together – I promise," Chuck softly told her.

"I promise too," Serena added as she hugged Blair from behind.

After a moment of calming down, Blair gently pulled back from both her best friend and her boyfriend.

"That's enough guys – you can stop now, I'm going home," she called to the helicopter crew who was loading up her belongings. "Thank you," she turned and said to Chuck and Serena as she put an arm around each of them and walked back towards Chuck's limo.

Once seated inside, Blair snuggled up next to Chuck with his arms around her. Serena couldn't help but smile seeing how gentle and loving Chuck was with Blair and how calm and at peace he made her. She had no idea what kind of parents they would make, but she knew they'd figure it out together.

* * *

Blair wasn't ready to face her mother just yet so she had requested to spend the night at Chuck's, which was perfectly fine with him.

"Blair, I really am sorry about earlier," he told her as she laid in his arms in bed. "It was stupid of me just to assume-"

"No, it wasn't," she stopped him, turning to face him. "It was a logical assumption, I shouldn't have gone off on you like I did... hormones," she added.

He nodded. "Guess we'll have to get used to that," he laughed.

"Like you said, we'll get through this together... it was silly for me to think that I could just runaway to France and leave the mess here behind like nothing ever happened..."

"It's okay, I understand why you did it – you were scared, we're both scared. This is completely unfamiliar to to both of us," Chuck told her.

She nodded as she nestled more into his arms, with her head on his chest. For some reason, in that moment, she felt completely safe. Before she knew it she had dozed off.

Chuck smiled as he watched her sleep. While he was completely terrified at the idea of being a father, he knew he would have to be strong for her.

* * *

The next morning, Blair woke up to blood in her La Perlas.

"Chuck!" she cried in a hushed but panicked tone. "Chuck, wake up!"

"Hm?" he groaned as she shook him awake.

"I'm bleeding!" she gasped.

He immediately sat up. "I'll call an ambulance!"

"No, it's not that heavy, just call the car around," she told him.

* * *

Chuck paced outside in the hallway of the hospital while he waited for news regarding Blair – any news. He was growing frustrated that the doctors and nurses weren't telling him anything.

Before he knew it, Blair emerged from the room they had been checking her out in, however he was having trouble reading her.

"Is everything okay? What's wrong?" he inquired.

Blair nodded. "I'm... I'm not pregnant," she shyly informed him.

"What do you mean? You had a miscarriage?"

"No... I mean, the tests Serena gave me were faulty – I was never pregnant," she clarified. "I was just very, very late for unknown reasons."

"Are you... are you okay?" he asked her.

She nodded again. "Yes, I'll be alright... this means I can move forward in pursuing Yale and you don't have to worry about being a father anytime soon," she stated.

Chuck nodded. A wave of relief washed over him, however a tiny part of him was a bit saddened by the news.

"As long as you're okay with it, I'm okay with it," he assured her as he embraced her. At least he knew that part of him wanted to have children at some point in the future.

"I am," she told him. While she was mostly relieved to learn the tests had all been false positives, a tiny bit of her had also secretly wished she was pregnant. But she kept telling herself it wasn't meant to be, at least not for now.

"Let's get out of here," she requested as she pulled out her phone.

"Who are you texting?" Chuck asked her as they made their way out of the hospital.

"Gossip Girl – better start rebuilding now and put this behind us so we can move forward. Last thing I need is for people whispering and wondering if we are or aren't, right?"

Chuck once again nodded. She had a point – Gossip Girl would make the retraction and they could begin starting fresh. And hopefully back in control.

* * *

_A/N: Not gonna lie, this chapter was a little uninspired, so I hope it turned out alright and wasn't too big of a disappointment. I know several of you had said you thought Chuck and Nate made up a little too soon in the last chapter, but as you can see, their reunion didn't last very long and I had planned it that way =) _

_The next chapter is going to jump ahead towards the end of season 1 (only a few episodes though, so not like we'll miss anything major), starting right in the middle of all the Serena and Georgina drama with the NJBC coming together for her aid despite their current issues. I'll do my best to have it up by Christmas so hopefully we can start the New Year with the next season (which I'm looking forward to posting as I've done quite a bit of work on some of those chapters already!)._

_As always, thanks to all those who have left reviews thus far - please keep them coming as I find them quite encouraging! And thank you to all the new followers and those that favorited the story! _


	7. Chapter 7 - Schemes and Wedding Dreams

_A/N: Hello and thank you to all those who recently began following the story and/or favorited it as well as a big thank you once again to all of you who left reviews! I had hoped to have posted this chapter earlier today but oddly the FF servers were down for most of the day =(_

_Anywho, here's a little Christmas present to you - the last chapter of season 1, combining the last 2 episodes! I apologize that a good bit of it is verbatim from the actual episodes (mainly the scenes with Serena's hangover, her account of the Pete Fairman incident, the Georgina takedown and Blair/Serena 1 week post-wedding) but I did change up quite a bit of the other Chuck and Blair scenes in the last two episodes. _

_Hope you all had a good holiday - we did in my household!_

* * *

"Well, I knew housekeeping was hiring, but I had no idea their standards were so low," Chuck remarked as he came into the room to see none other than Dan Humphrey standing in the suite.

"I hate that I have to ask you this, but have you seen Serena?" Dan reluctantly asked him.

"Oh, I've seen lots of Serena," Chuck informed him as his phone began to ring. "Are you drunk dialing again?"

"No – Chuck, have you seen Serena at all?" Blair asked him frantically over the phone.

"No, Serena didn't come home last night. I thought she was with you..." Chuck responded as he slowly backed away from Dan.

"She showed up here late last night, all worked up and hysterical... I went to go find something to calm her down and when I came back she was gone!" Blair explained. "I've been calling her all morning with no luck... Chuck, I need your help – we have to find her! Something isn't right with her... I'm scared for her, Chuck!"

"Calm down, there's no point in you getting all worked up and hysterical too, Blair," Chuck told her after he had entered an empty room in the suite, shutting the door behind him. He knew that in light of Serena's current behavior and due to her recent drama with Georgina, Dan was the last person she would want knowing what was going on or worrying about her. "Did she say where she had been? Or who she had been with?"

"No Chuck – I have no idea where she is! I've been running around all morning, checking the usual dives we used to find her at... can you think of anywhere I might not have thought to check?" Blair begged.

"Hm... there was that one place-"

"Text me the address," Blair demanded. "And meet me at my place ASAP - considering how she was earlier when she stopped by, I can only imagine how much worse she must be by now."

"Roger that, sweetheart – I'm on my way," Chuck replied, as he made his way to exit the suite.

* * *

He caught the elevator up to Blair's penthouse just as the door was about to close, only to be surprised to see Nate already standing in the car.

"Hey..." Chuck greeted him awkwardly, getting nothing by silence in the return.

They had barely spoken since their fight outside the school several weeks ago when Gossip Girl had the spread the rumor that Blair was pregnant. While Blair seemed to be recovering just fine among her social clique – thanks largely in part to her SAT resources - Chuck and Nate were still on the outs with Nate spending most of his free time in Brooklyn with Vanessa and Chuck falling into a regular routine with Blair while helping Serena out with her Georgina and Dan problems.

When the elevator reached Blair's, Chuck quickly got out, looking for Blair while he heard Nate following close behind. It only took him a matter of seconds to realize she wasn't there yet.

"Maybe this is Blair's idea of a perverse double date..." Chuck wondered as he looked around for any signs of life in the penthouse.

"Miss Blair asks that you should wait there. She's on her way now," Dorota informed them as she came around a corner.

"She's not even here?!" Nate asked, confused.

"Well this ought to be good," Chuck stated as he made himself at home on the chaise lounger in the room.

Nate made his way to the window, as a way to avoid interacting with Chuck, while Chuck flipped through emails and whatnot on his phone.

Fortunately they didn't have to avoid each other for too long as within several minutes they both heard the ding of the elevator opening up and Blair's heels clicking against the foyer.

"Is something actually wrong, or is this just some ploy to get us both here?" Nate questioned as soon as Blair was within eyesight.

"I meant what I said on the phone - I need your help," she paused. "We need your help." She quickly motioned for them both to follow her to the elevator.

In the corner sat Serena, breathing heavily and looking like a hot mess that the cat dragged in.

"Oh my God ..." Nate gasped as he reached down to life her up as Chuck came around her other side and together they helped her out of the elevator and into the penthouse.

"You okay?" Chuck asked Serena, trying to get her to come to. "What's wrong with her?" he wondered.

"Take her upstairs," Blair ordered. "Dorota! Coffee – fast!"

Getting her up the stairs was quite the feat, but they somehow managed to get her onto Blair's bed.

"Dorota! Where is that coffee!?" Blair barked, before turning to Chuck. "Can you please run down to the corner store and get any possible hangover cure you can think of?" Blair asked him.

"Of course," he replied as he quickly ran back down the stairs.

He could tell Blair was worried. He was worried. Things had sounded bad when she first called him, but seeing the current state Serena was in, it was much worse than he had anticipated.

_What did Georgina do to you, sis?_ He wondered.

* * *

After about 20 minutes of unsuccessfully trying to get Serena to drink the coffee, Blair decided it was time for Plan B.

"Come on, Serena..." Blair urged, attempting to pull her upwards off the bed.

"No... I just want to sleep..." Serena protested. "Why won't you let me sleep?"

"Nate - we have to get her in the shower..." Blair stated as he helped her get Serena to her feet. "Here... No... We have to keep her talking and awake. Come on, come on... Let's go, let's go..." Blair coached her as they dragged her towards the bathroom. "Dorota, will you please get her a fresh change of clothes and a bathrobe?"

"Of course, Miss Blair," the housekeeper told her.

"So we have every hangover cure known to man, plus bagels. They should help soak up the alcohol and whatever else she took," Chuck stated as he entered the room, with bags in tow.

"Thank you, Chuck - I'll take it from here," Blair said as she attempted to take care of Serena in the bathroom. "Come on, Serena - help me out a little!"

"B, it's cold! It's cold!" Serena cried out.

Chuck couldn't help but linger in the doorway as the scene played out. He'd be lying if he didn't admit it was a little hot, watching his girlfriend beginning to undress his soon-to-be stepsister. Unfortunately for him, Nate was more of a gentleman and shut the door before much else happened.

"Just like old times," Chuck recalled.

"You know, why do I get the feeling you're actually enjoying this?" Nate asked him, point blank.

"Call me sentimental?" he suggested.

Moments later Blair emerged from the bathroom. "I may not need those bagels after all..." she informed them.

"What's going on with her?" Nate inquired.

"She was here last night, scared," Blair began to explain. "She... She told me something totally crazy, but was too freaked out to find the words to explain it. I went upstairs to find my mom's Valium to calm her down, but when I got back, she was gone. It took me all night to find her... by the way, thanks for your suggestion this morning, Chuck – that's where I ended up finding her..."

"What exactly did she say to you?" Chuck wondered.

"That's beside the point," she quipped. "We're here to help Serena - no matter what the problem is."

* * *

Blair had followed Dorota downstairs to get some fresh towels for Serena when she noticed Dan getting off the elevator.

"Dorota, take the towels upstairs!" Blair ordered in a rush.

"What's taking so long?" Nate called from the stairs.

"Huh... Guess I missed a chapter..." Dan wondered out loud as he followed Blair through the foyer, only to see Chuck coming out of the kitchen with a plate of bagels. "Or ... four. Don't all of you hate each other?"

"Yes and no," Blair was first to respond.

"No," Chuck informed him.

"Absolutely!" Nate declared.

"Well, that's fascinating and ripe for a psychiatrist's case study somewhere but, um, I'm looking for Serena," Dan proceeded to tell them.

"She's not here," Chuck replied.

"I think she is..." Dan retorted.

"No, she just left..." Blair lied. "You must have crossed paths."

"In the elevator? I don't believe you," he said.

"Fine," Blair sighed. "I didn't want to have to tell you this, but...she doesn't want to see you."

"Come on. Really?"

"Yes, really," Blair insisted.

"Serena!" Dan called out as he walked towards the stairs. Chuck, Blair and Nate were quick to block his path though.

"She's telling the truth," Nate informed him.

"Are you really gonna stop me from seeing my girlfriend?" Dan asked before trying to push past all three of them.

"What are you doing?" Serena questioned suddenly, from the top of the stairs.

"S?" Blair inquired as Serena made her way downstairs to confront Dan.

"It's okay," Serena assured her.

They watched as Serena led Dan to the other side of the foyer and began speaking quietly to him for several moments.

"... all I need is a yes or a no – did you sleep with someone else?" they heard Dan raise his voice. Next thing they knew, Dan was running off into the elevator and Serena was in tears.

"I can't believe I just did that..." Serena cried.

"Then why did you? I mean, did you cheat on Dan?" Nate asked her.

"No. I remember last night. I didn't do anything!" Serena cried.

"Then why would you say that to him?" Blair wondered.

"Because I would rather Dan think I cheated on him than know what I really did," Serena stated.

"What you really did?" Nate questioned, impatiently. They all thought she was being ridiculous.

"Dan puts me on a pedestal," she explained. "If he knew the truth, he would never look at me again." Serena made her way over to the couch and sat down.

"You're starting to scare even me. What _did_ you do?!" Chuck asked once again as they all followed Serena into the sitting room.

"C'mon – you can tell us," Nate urged her.

"We've seen you with vomit in your hair, making out with investment bankers in the men's room at PJ Clarke's. You don't have to hide anything from us," Blair reminded her as she sat down next to her.

"She's right, Serena. I mean, none of us are saints," Nate added.

"Yeah - I had sex with him in the back of a limo," Blair admitted in front of Nate, tilting her head towards Chuck.

"On multiple occasions..." Chuck added with a smirk.

"And I had sex with you at a wedding while I was her date..." Nate threw in for good measure, adding a "...once."

Blair turned to Chuck, implying for him to dish up some embarrassing, horrible detail to make Serena feel at ease.

"Um... I'm Chuck Bass," he stated.

"You can tell us anything. We don't judge. We're the Non-Judging Breakfast Club," Blair reminded her. "We're your best friends. Anything you do is something we did, too."

"If I tell you, it can never leave this room," Serena told them.

They all nodded in approval.

"Okay, well... you all know Georgina Sparks..."

"Some of us better than others," Blair hissed, looking at Chuck. "It's not like you didn't lose your virginity to her in seventh grade..."

Chuck rolled his eyes at her. "Despite what she claims, I did not lose it to her, although there was that one time in the sixth grade and I've been avoiding her ever since - the bitch is a psycho."

"What about her?" Nate asked Serena, bringing them back to the subject.

"Well, something happened the night of the Shepherd wedding..." Serena began.

"I think we're all aware of what happened that night..." Blair quipped.

"No, something else, something I've tried to escape... but Georgina won't let me. And now she's blackmailing me," Serena went on.

"Blackmailing you?" Nate questioned.

"With what exactly?" Chuck wondered.

Serena proceeded to tell them what had transpired later that night, after her affair with Nate (which she fast forwarded past at Blair's request), how she met up with Georgina and a guy named Pete at a hotel afterwards but felt so guilty about what she had just done with Nate that she wasn't much fun, how Pete had overdosed soon after and Georgina insisted they flee before they got arrested for the drugs... Little did she know, Georgina was taping the whole thing. The last thing she saw of Pete was the paramedics carrying him out of the hotel in a body bag.

"I didn't know what to do!" Serena cried. "I... I just knew I had to leave right away. I took a train heading north, and I got a room and convinced my mom that boarding school was a good idea, and..."

"Never said good-bye," Blair finished. "It makes sense now..."

"But what does she even want from you?" Nate wondered.

"Well, when she came back, I... I told her that I moved on from the lifestyle that she was still in, but she didn't like that. So somehow, she became friends with Dan and Vanessa and called herself Sarah," Serena explained.

"Why don't you just tell Dan about her?" Blair suggested.

"Because she has that tape of me, and she'll use it! It's practically a snuff film!" Serena reminded her.

"We need to find her..." Chuck stated.

"No. Please. Promise me, please. Promise me you won't do anything. Because if you do, then she'll show Dan. ...If he even ever speaks to me again..." Serena sobbed. "God, what have I done..."

* * *

"Thanks for sticking by my side, B – I'm really not up to being social tonight," Serena told her as they entered the rehearsal dinner with Chuck trailing right behind them.

"Of course, S... you knew I'd be here anyway," Blair reminded her, squeezing her hand for encouragement as she smiled over at Chuck.

"Incoming," Chuck warned as he saw Lily notice Serena and headed their way.

"You were supposed to be home hours ago," Lily snapped as she grabbed Serena by the arm, pulling her away from Chuck and Blair. "Come with me..."

Chuck closed the gap between him and Blair, slipping an arm around her waist.

"This can't be good," he whispered into her ear as they watched Lily rip into Serena from across the room.

"No... no it cannot..." Blair agreed.

Moments later they saw Lily storm off, leaving Serena all by herself. "Oh no!" Blair cried under her breath. "I'll be right back," she told Chuck as she took off running towards Serena.

"What's wrong? What happened?" she asked frantically, only for Serena to fall apart in her arms.

"She saw the tape, B – she saw the tape!" Serena cried. "She doesn't understand... she thinks it's recent..."

"S... calm down, I'm sure we can explain it to her..." Blair tried to comfort her.

"She said she's going to send me away!"

Blair paused for a moment to think. Someone needed to explain things to Lily before any rash decisions were made. She motioned for Chuck to come over.

"What's wrong?" he asked as he approached them.

"Keep an eye on her," Blair requested. "I need to go see to something real quick," she explained.

* * *

It didn't take her long to find Lily, distracted by casual conversation with Bart and some guests. "Don't send her away," Blair demanded as she approached them.

"Blair, it's not polite to interrupt," Lily tried to stay calm and polite in front of the guests.

"I don't care who hears – just don't send her away."

"Excuse me," Lily told the others as she gently pulled Blair aside. "Thank you, Blair, but it's not exactly your business what I do with my daughter. If anything, you're one of the reasons I'm having to take such strong actions."

"I say this with all due respect, Lily, but you have no idea what your daughter's been going through. She's in a lot of pain, and I don't think the pain's gonna go away if she goes away," Blair told her.

"I don't understand what you're trying to tell me," Lily confessed.

"Serena has a secret, and she's been holding on to it for a long, long time. And now it's finally catching up with her. I'm out of my league here. I can't do any more than I've done, and it's not enough. She needs you," Blair urged.

"I saw the video – she doesn't need me. She needs boundaries," Lily stated.

"What you saw isn't the whole story," Blair said as she proceeded to fill her in on Pete Fairman and how Serena blamed herself for his death and the trouble Georgina was causing because of it.

"Oh my God!" Lily exclaimed when Blair was through filling her in. "I had no idea..."

"Now do you understand?" Blair asked to make sure they were on the same page. "Sending her away won't do any good."

"No, I suppose it won't... thank you for telling me what's been going on, Blair. And oh, do you know if Charles still has contact with that PI of Bart's?" Lily questioned.

"I believe so," Blair replied.

"Do me a favor, tell him to see if he can get me an address for this Pete Fairman's family, will you?" Lily requested.

"Of course, Lily," Blair told her as she made her way back towards where she left Chuck and Serena.

* * *

Within twenty minutes, Chuck was approaching Lily with the address she had requested – his father's PI worked fast.

"Excuse me, Lily?" Chuck interrupted her conversation. "Here's the address you asked for," he said slipping her a piece of paper.

"Thank you, Charles," she said as she turned to her guests. "Excuse us, please... Charles, I need to let your father know that I need to duck out for a bit – can you please go get my coat for me?"

"Of course," he told her as they briefly went their separate ways.

"Your problems are my problems – let me come help," he heard his father say as he approached Lily with her coat and proceeded to help her into it.

"I can't... I wish I could explain... thank you again, Charles," Lily said, acknowledging his help.

"There seems to be a lot lately that you can't explain..." Bart implied.

"I'm sorry, dear... but this is between me and my daughter," she said as she gave him a kiss on the cheek before turning to leave.

Chuck was a little lost for words at the way his father was playing the caring dad and doting husband role. It was quite the opposite of the Bart he had known his whole life.

Just then he turned around to see Blair approaching him with an evil grin on her face.

"What's gotten into you, lover?" he suspiciously asked.

"Nate just called... what if I told you I knew where Georgina Sparks was right now? She grinned.

"I'd say let's get the bitch," he told her.

"I was hoping you'd say that!" she squealed with delight. "Call the car around – I told Nate we'd pick him up on our way to Brooklyn."

"Ugh, Brooklyn? Really?" Chuck whined in disgust. He hated going over the bridge to that part of town.

"I know, I know... but for Serena's sake, sacrifices must be made," she told him.

"I suppose..." he said as he pulled out his phone and dialed his driver. "Arthur, please pull the car around," he said before turning to Blair. "Lead the way, my dear," he grinned. He loved a good take-down with her.

* * *

"Some date we've got here – you've brought your friends with you... the ones I can't stand..." Vanessa said, noticing Chuck and Blair walking in, arm in arm, right behind Nate as she greeted them to the show while Rufus sang along with his band on stage.

"Where's Georgina?" Blair questioned, looking around and noticing the bitch wasn't anywhere in sight.

"What are you two going to do?" Nate asked her. "You heard what Serena said..."

"Yeah, like we care," Chuck stated.

"Georgina left," Vanessa told them.

"Left? Where?" Blair inquired.

"I don't know, she just took off. If I could only find Dan... He's around here somewhere..." Vanessa admitted.

"Well, let's go look for him," Nate said to her. "Alone," he added, looking right at Chuck and Blair.

They were just about to go scour the place for Georgina when Serena nearly bumped right into Blair.

"Hey! What are you doing here?" Blair asked her.

"Me? What are you doing here?" Serena questioned.

"Uh... I'm a big Leaky Hawk fan?" Blair lied, turning to Chuck for back-up. He chuckled at her mispronunciation of Rufus' band's name.

"I'm looking for Dan and Georgina," Serena told her.

"You're out of luck – apparently Georgina's gone, or so we've been told..." Chuck informed her.

"And Dan?" Serena questioned.

"I'm out of luck – he's still around," Chuck grinned at her.

Serena grinned in relief. "It's all over now – I can finally tell Dan everything without Georgina holding it over my head!" she explained. "B, will you help me find him?"

"Sure, S," she told her as she unlinked her arm from Chuck's and took Serena's instead. "Don't get lost – I'll come find you in a bit," she assured him.

"Or I could just come with..." he stated as he began following them.

They had just began walking up into the bleachers when Blair's phone rang, the caller ID informing her that it was Dan calling.

"Hey! S! I think it's for you!" she told Serena as she passed her the phone.

"Hey! Thank God you called, I'm here looking for you right now. Where are you?" Serena said into the phone, however her tone soon changed. "Georgina?"

Chuck and Blair exchanged worried glances.

"No, I'm not afraid of you anymore..." they heard Serena tell her. "Why? What are you going to do?... No, nuh-uh – I know Dan. He's too good."

They watched Serena slowly hand the phone back to Blair. "Georgina's with Dan... she's planning on doing something with him," Serena said, close to tears.

"That bitch is going down," Chuck growled. "Blair, why don't we head back to your place for the night and brainstorm some ideas? I want this bitch gone before the wedding tomorrow."

"Sounds good to me," Blair grinned. She knew late night scheming with Chuck usually led to something else in the midst of things.

"I'm coming too," Serena declared as she began to follow them out. "If Whoregina's going down, I want in on whatever you two come up with."

Blair and Chuck both tried to hide their disappointment at Serena's announcement of joining them for the night, however they couldn't exactly blame her for wanting to take part in the planning.

* * *

The next morning Blair woke up sideways in her bed, with Chuck's arm around her waist and their legs intertwined, albeit fully clothed. She smiled as she watched him sleep peacefully. It was then she noticed Serena was nowhere to be seen. She also noticed what time it was.

"Chuck!" she said sternly, trying to wake him. It didn't work so she smacked him in the arm. "Chuck!"

"Ow! Good morning to you too," he cried in pain as he rubbed his arm. "What was that for?"

"It's almost noon, the wedding is in a few hours, and we have quite the scheme to pull off before then," she reminded him. "And where's Serena?" she wondered.

"She probably took off to get ready for the wedding and figured she'd let us sleep," Chuck suggested as he got up and began putting his jacket on. "I trust you can take it from here? I have a best man speech to write and no time to write it."

"Well, I supposed I can be bitch enough for the both us..." she smirked as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Don't I know it," he grinned at her. "I believe I still have the scars on my back to prove it," he stated as he leaned in to kiss her with her reciprocating his kiss with another and so forth. Eventually he had to pull back. "I know last night didn't go quite as we would have liked, with Serena insisting on being here, but I promise I'll make up for it tonight, dear – I really need to get going,"

"Alright, fine..." Blair sighed reluctantly as she let him out of her embrace.

"Call me if you have any trouble," he told her as he gave her one last quick kiss goodbye.

She sat down on her bed in a huff. She was thoroughly annoyed that Serena had insisted on crashing their scheming fun last night.

* * *

"It went to voicemail," Dan informed her.

"Okay, now – just like we discussed," Blair urged him.

"Hey, hey, it's me. D. Um, after you left, Serena and I got in a huge fight, and... And she said all this crazy stuff. I honestly don't know what to believe, but... But what I do know is I want to see you. So, uh, call me..." he left Georgina a message.

"Excellent work – she's totally calling back," Blair told him.

"This is so weird," Dan said to her. "I don't normally plot against people."

"Don't worry, virgin – I'll talk you through it," Blair assured him. Sure enough, the phone rang with the caller ID showing it to be Georgina. "Right on schedule!"

"Hey..." Dan began speaking into the phone. "Good, good... So... Sorry about this morning with Serena. That was very awkward, to say the least... Yeah, a little bit. Last night really changed things for me. Serena and I left things kind of uncertain, so I... I think I wanna end it. I know I do. Will you meet me?... See you there!"

"Humphrey, you are a born liar," Blair smiled at him, quite impressed actually.

"Thanks... I think?"

"All that stuff about last night was genius – anything you want to tell me?" Blair probed.

"Uh, no... like you said – just born to lie," he said, awkwardly.

"Right... c'mon, let's go get there before she does," Blair said as she got up to leave.

* * *

"Honestly, Dan, last night was fun, but I didn't really know what it would all mean to you," Georgina admitted to him when they finally met up at the park.

"Well, I normally don't jump into things like that, so when I do, it means a lot," he confessed.

"Me, too," she assured him. "That's why I think we should be together forever-"

"Georgina. Look, Serena told me everything. All right? And I believe her," Dan told her.

"No, you don't understand. She was upset, and... And jealous. I'm sure she told you all kinds of things to make you think the worst of me-" Georgina tried to explain.

"No, just stop it," Dan interrupted her.

"I never meant for this to happen, but it did," Georgina lied. "And I know you feel it too, I mean, how else do you explain last night?"

"I don't know. I don't know, and I wish I could..."

"So you're just gonna go back to Serena like nothing happened, and just leave me all alone?" Georgina exclaimed.

"Oh, you're not alone, G. I'm here now, and I brought some people who really, really want to see you," Blair said from behind her. "Thanks, Dan – I've got it from here. I think you remember your parents, G?"

Georgina turned around, completely speechless to see Blair there, with her parents as well.

"Mom, Dad, this is not what you think. You have to believe me!" Georgina cried out.

"There, there Georgie – it's going to be okay..." Blair put on her innocent act.

"No, this time it won't," Mrs. Sparks replied.

"...or it won't. Your parents were so worried, G!" Blair continued as she watched Dan walk away. "They told me everything! How you're supposed to be on the equestrian circuit, but sold your show pony for cocaine..."

"That was a difficult time, but I... I've put that behind me!" Georgina pleaded.

"When? When you were in rehab? It's hard to get clean when you hitchhike into town, steal a credit card and book a ticket to Ibiza..." Blair retorted.

"You didn't see where they sent me! I mean, that place was awful! It was... It was in Utah! At least I lasted longer than Lohan!" Georgina exclaimed.

"We were trying to help..." Georgina's mother stated.

"I've had enough – I have to go," Georgina said as she turned to leave, only to see her parent's chauffeur blocking her path.

"Georgina, stop," her father yelled.

"Yes. Stay, Georgina. I'll go," Blair said with a smile. "Oh! That reminds me. I almost forgot to leave you the information that I discussed with your parents," Blair added as she handed Georgina a pamphlet.

"What's this?" Georgina questioned as she hesitated to take the paper.

"Where you're going," her father informed her.

"A boot camp for troubled girls," her mother added.

"Blair was kind enough to do some research for us," her father also said.

"Haven't you heard, G? I'm the crazy bitch around here," Blair leaned in and reminded her. "Have fun at reform school!" she said as she turned to leave.

Clearly her work here was done.

* * *

"Hey you..." Blair said as she sauntered up to Chuck outside the gates of where the ceremony would soon take place, putting an arm around him and resting her head gently on his shoulder. "Best man speech going well?"

"There won't be a dry eye in the house," he replied, turning and kissing the top her head. "How did things go with Whoregina?"

"Not a dry eye there either," Blair grinned as she lifted her head to smile at him.

"Good to know I wasn't missed," he grinned.

"Dan Humphrey actually lent a hand, it was nice to see him get his hands dirty for once," Blair stated as she began to adjust his bowtie. "Not sure how much fun he had, though..."

"No one ever enjoys their first time," Chuck reminded her. "That is... except you," he said with a smirk. "Save me a dance, later?"

She grinned in return. "Of course!" she said as she gave him a gentle kiss on the cheek. "I'll see you after the ceremony – break a leg!" she patted him on the back as she went to go find a seat.

Chuck watched Blair walk away and begin mingling with some other guests on the other side of the gates. He was brought to attention by Nate's father approaching, with Nate in tow.

"There he is! Best man ready to do his dad proud?" The Captain inquired.

"Captain... good to see you," Chuck greeted him. "And Nate..."

Nate glared at Chuck, refusing to acknowledge him verbally.

"Clearly, I missed something when I was away," The Captain observed. "Little advice, fellas? You've been friends a long time. Whoever she is, she's not worth it."

"Couldn't agree more," Nate growled.

"That's the problem..." Chuck muttered as Nate walked on by while his father mingled outside.

He continued going over his speech quietly before the ceremony began when he noticed The Captain meeting with a suspicious looking man across the street. "Do me a favor, sir," Chuck turned to a nearby usher. "Keep an eye on Mr. Archibald, please – inform me if he does anything suspicious."

"Yes, sir," the usher complied.

* * *

"Hey, S! Missed you this morning – how go the prenuptials?" Blair asked Serena as she joined her on a couch inside.

"Well, my Mom's done this enough times. You'd think she'd be a pro by now, but I don't know... Her heart doesn't really seem in it.," Serena admitted.

"You think this will be us in twenty years? Onto our fourth husbands?" Blair pondered.

"A girl can dream..." Serena said sarcastically. "But I doubt you'll have to worry about that B – Chuck adores you and practically worships the ground you walk on. You know he loves you, right?"

Blair smiled, and although she wanted to believe it was true, Chuck had yet to say those three words, eight letters to her yet.

"Speaking of true love... Dan isn't here?" Blair questioned.

"He's coming," Serena stated.

"So... all is forgiven?" Blair inquired.

"I'm working on it," Serena said bluntly.

"What do you have to work on? He's the one that has to forgive you," Blair reminded her.

"Yeah... that's what I'm working on," Serena confessed.

Just then the wedding coordinator made an appearance. "Serena, dear – your mother is just about ready, if you could please make your way outside," the coordinator informed them.

* * *

"Where's my mom?" Eric wondered as he waited at the alter with Chuck and Bart. "Shouldn't we be saying vows right about now?"

Chuck was trying not to laugh, but secretly he was a bit worried that maybe Lily was going to bail.

"Your mother is a wonderful woman, Eric, however being on time... is not her strong suit," Bart pointed out.

Chuck looked out amongst the crowd and soon spotted Blair – his Blair – amongst the seated guests. He couldn't help but smile at her, she looked beautiful. She must have felt him staring at her as she soon turned her gaze upon him and smiled back at him, giving a little wave as well.

Soon enough, the orchestra struck up the wedding march and Serena began making her way down the aisle with Lily soon following. Much to everyone's relief, the ceremony went off without incident as Lily, Serena and Eric officially became part of the family.

* * *

Despite being full, the head table – comprised of the bride, groom, their three children with Dan as Serena's plus one and Blair as Chuck's - was surprisingly quiet. That is until Dan broke the silence.

"How's your food?" Chuck and Blair heard him ask Serena quietly.

While Chuck and Blair were being openly warm and affectionate, stealing hidden glances at each other and shy smiles all while holding hands at the table with Chuck occasionally stroking her hand gently with his thumb, Dan and Serena were sitting there full of tension and awkwardness.

"It's good, thanks," Serena whispered, sadly.

"I was being sarcastic. You haven't eaten a bite," Dan muttered to her. "Let's go somewhere quiet. We can talk."

Chuck and Blair watched as Serena sat her napkin down on the table and got up to leave. "Excuse me, everyone – I need some air," she announced to the table. Dan quickly followed after her.

Moments later an usher approached Chuck. "Sir, Mr. Archibald just called his car around," the usher whispered to him.

"Are you sure?" Chuck asked.

The usher nodded and Chuck sighed. "I'll be right back," he announced to everyone as he got up and headed over to the table where Nate was seated.

'I need to talk to you," he leaned in and whispered to Nate. "Your father is leaving."

"He probably just stepped out to call my mom," Nate responded.

"Is everything okay?" Vanessa asked.

"Yes," Nate assured her.

"No," Chuck stated as Nate got up to deal with him. "He just asked to have his car brought around."

"He probably left his phone in it!" Nate declared.

"Before the ceremony... I saw him with a guy, doing a deal... it looked like drugs," Chuck informed him.

"My father is clean, Chuck – I don't need you spying on him!"

"Look, I know you hate me – I'm in love Blair and I won't apologize for that, but we do not have time to argue about this!" Chuck urged him.

Nate hesitated for a moment. "Fine," he conceded as he turned to venture outside to find his father. Chuck followed behind him.

* * *

Chuck watched from a distance as he witnessed The Captain reveal a passport to his son. Moments later, he watched Nate deck his father before walking towards him. They stood together and watched The Captain crawl back into the limo.

"You okay, man?" Chuck asked, sympathetic to Nate. He knew what it was like to have a father turn his back on you.

"I'll be alright," Nate assured him. "So... uh, thank you..."

"It's your dad – it's bigger than... all the other stuff..." Chuck told him.

"I'm sorry, man," Nate said, reaching out to shake Chuck's hand. "For all of it."

"So am I," Chuck responded.

"So... I keep hearing you say you love her – I've... never heard you say that about anyone before," Nate pointed out.

Chuck smiled bashfully. "Yeah... I know... but I really think I do – like I've said, things are completely different with her... I'm just sorry it had to come between us."

"As long as she's happy, I guess I can accept that," Nate replied. "I'll admit, she definitely seems happier than she ever was when she was dating me..."

"Ready to go back in?" Chuck interrupted Nate's thoughts, not wanting to discuss things with Blair with him any further.

"I don't think I'm going back in..." Nate decided. "Just tell Vanessa I-"

"Tell me what?" Vanessa pipped up from out of nowhere. "Chuck, they're looking for you inside."

"Must be time for my speech," Chuck stated. "Nathaniel, good talking with you again – I'll catch you later," he said, patting Nate on the shoulder as he went to head inside.

He smiled to himself, perhaps things between him and Nate could be salvaged after all.

* * *

Once back inside, Chuck clinked his glass to get everyone's attention.

"I'd like to propose a toast," he announced, looking out across the room. "My father is someone who goes after what he wants, and Lily van der Woodsen was no exception," he began. "In typical Bass man fashion, his pursuit was direct and at times, not exactly subtle..." Just then Blair caught his eye.

_This is it_, he thought to himself as he put his speech notes down.

"One thing I learned from my father's courtship of Lily is the importance of perseverance. That in the face of true love, you don't just give up, even if the object of your affection is begging you to. And one thing I learned from Lily is the importance of forgiveness. She gave my father the gift of a second chance. And in kind, I've watched him become someone actually worthy of that gift. And one day, I hope I'll be lucky enough to find someone who will do the same for me," he paused, staring directly at the object of his affection.

It may not have been the three words and eight letters his insides were dying to say to her, but he hoped it would convey how he felt towards her.

"To the happy couple!" he toasted to them. And her.

She toasted right back at him.

He stood off to the side as his father and Lily began their first dance as a married couple.

"That was quite a speech," Blair said softly as she walked up to him. "All your hard work must have paid off," she smiled.

Chuck took her hand in his and led her out onto the dance floor. "That wasn't what I wrote. I was inspired in the moment," he smiled as he said to her. "Look, I know we've had our ups and downs this past year..."

"Yeah? And what's your point?" she questioned.

He wasn't ready to say it to her yet. "Despite everything, you belong with me – always have, always will."

She smiled as she leaned in to kiss him. Instinctively he kissed her back.

Serena just happened to witness them in the beginning of their passion as she walked on by. The sight of those two together was one she still wasn't used to, despite how many months they've been together.

"Why don't you say we continue to take things slow? Do it right?" he suggested to her.

"Chuck Bass is a romantic...? Who knew?" Blair giggled.

"Well now you do," he replied. "And that's all that matters," he smiled as he leaned in to kiss her some more.

They continued dancing the night away together in each others arms before the cleaning crew began kicking everyone out.

They ended up back at Blair's for the night since her mother was out of town and proceeded to make sweet, passionate love until they were both spent and fell asleep in each others arms.

* * *

One week later...

"So you're really going to Tuscany with Chuck?" Serena inquired as she helped Blair pack for the trip. "Sounds romantic... minus the whole Chuck part..."

"It was his idea – I was headed to France anyway so he suggested I join him on his father's private jet and well, invited me to spend some time in Tuscany with him first," Blair smiled.

"So it's worth time with Chuck just to avoid airport security?" Serena instigated.

"Oh don't worry, S – I'll be sure to frisk him!" Blair grinned like a Cheshire cat.

"Ewww, B! Gross! He's definitely rubbing off on you!" Serena exclaimed.

"Oh he definitely does more than rubbing," Blair laughed as she watched Serena squirm. "What can I say? He brings out the worst in me. And weirdly, I think I bring out the best in him... He's been a perfect gentleman this whole week," she added.

"Is that why you're driving yourself to the airport, B?" Serena pointed out.

"He wanted to see his Dad before he left. Besides, we're taking the helicopter to Teterboro. I have to sit in the jump seat so that I can tell the pilot if I have any thoughts on his flying," Blair explained.

"Oh B, what's it gonna take to get you to relax?" Serena questioned.

"Chuck..." Blair giggled.

"Oh! God! My ears are bleeding! Make it stop!" Serena screamed.

"You gonna be okay?" Blair solemnly asked her. "Alone, all summer, without your best friend, who always gets you out of trouble?"

"Yeah... I'm looking forward to staying out of trouble for a while," Serena informed her.

"Have you talked to Dan at all?" Blair inquired.

"No... Not since the wedding. It's for the best. For him, for me... Really, B - I'm fine," Serena assured her.

**XOXOXOXOXO**

"Yeah, I'll be taking off soon," Chuck said to Nate over the phone. "I wanted to catch my Dad before I left... see how the honeymoon went... catch a glimpse of a man in love..."

"Well, why don't you just take a look in the mirror, Chuck?" Nate told him. "Taking Blair to Europe, huh? Things are getting pretty serious."

"It's no big deal," Chuck tried to play it off. "My Dad's jet was going to Italy on business, Blair was going to France. So,...are you planning to spend the summer sweating it out in Brooklyn?"

"Uh, I think my time across the Bridge is over," Nate informed him.

"Oh hey, my dad just walked in – I gotta get going," Chuck said as he finished up the conversation with Nate.

"Who was that? " Bart inquired.

"Just Nate, checking in," he said as his phone began to buzz. "And that's Blair... I should get going – I already told her I'd meet her in Tuscany... I wanted to see you before I disappeared for the summer. I'm glad you had a good trip."

"I hope you have a good trip, too. You deserve it. And I must say, I'm proud of you," Bart added.

"Dad, my best man speech was a week ago. And it was nothing..."

"Polite? Modest? You really are growing up," Bart said, quite impressed.

"Let's not get carried away. I plan on holding on to my youth for as long as possible," Chuck informed him.

"Sometimes that choice isn't up to you, son..."

"That's the best thing about Blair. She knows me - knows I'll never change..."

"Yeah... Until you take her away to Europe on a private jet," Bart pointed out. "That is gonna change everything. But that's a good thing, son. Having a real girlfriend forces you to learn about responsibility, sacrifice, being faithful... Taking into account somebody else's feelings, not just your own... You will come back from this summer a new man. Take my word for it."

Chuck gulped. Aside from those three little words with eight letters having yet to be said, he liked how things were with him and Blair. He didn't want anything to change. Things were perfect just how they were...

_Maybe Tuscany is a mistake... maybe it's too soon_, he thought to himself.

He sat down on the bed and sighed. He picked up his phone to text Blair, knowing he would regret it later, however he felt he had to go with his gut instinct that it was just too soon for him. That things were maybe going a little too fast.

_I'm sorry, I can't. Don't hate me._

_-C_

* * *

_A/N: And there we have the end of season 1. So Chuck doesn't cheat on Blair, but he does still get cold feet and chickens out of Tuscany! How do you think Blair will react when they're reunited in the Hamptons at the end of the summer? Probably going to take a week or so off, so please don't expect the next installment until after the new year. _

_Happy Holidays everyone!_


	8. Chapter 8 - Summertime Sadness

_A/N: Happy New Year everyone! I had this chapter done already so decided why not post it as a New Year's treat - something for you all to ring in the New Year with =D_

* * *

While the Gossip Girl blast from earlier had tipped him off that the object of his affection had just arrived state-side from her summer away in Europe, what really set the butterflies off in Chuck's stomach was overhearing a certain phone call that his stepsister had taken just before dinner.

Blair was on her way here, to the Hamptons, to finish out the last week of summer.

And he was definitely nervous.

He hadn't seen her or spoken to her all summer. Not since he royally screwed up by chickening out on their trip to Tuscany after she had already gone ahead of him. He knew he had screwed things up between them big time. The truth was, what his father had said to him just as he was about to leave put him into panic mode.

"_That's the best thing about Blair. She knows me - knows I'll never change..."_

"_Yeah... Until you take her away to Europe on a private jet - that is gonna change everything. But that's a good thing, son. Having a real girlfriend forces you to learn about responsibility, sacrifice, being faithful... Taking into account somebody else's feelings, not just your own... You will come back from this summer a new man. Take my word for it."_

Having had the whole summer to think about it, he realized that maybe it wasn't such a bad thing. He was already beginning to change and grow up ever since their first night together in the back of his limo. And he had already proven that he could in fact be faithful to her in the seven months or so before he screwed everything up.

_Maybe change is a good thing..._ He thought. _She's definitely worth it, that's for sure._

While he thought about flying to Europe and showing up on her doorstep numerous times throughout the summer, he would always talk himself out of it, deciding it would be better to give her her space as he knew she would most likely be furious at him for chickening out in the first place.

Reluctantly, he had decided to join Serena, Nate and Eric in the Hamptons for the last half of summer instead, as they all agreed it wasn't good for him to be moping around all summer alone with scotch as his only friend.

But now she was on her way here and he knew he had some major work ahead of him if he was ever going to get her to take him back.

"Well, this is the first time I've seen you look in a mirror all summer," Serena commented as she passed by Chuck's room, pausing to watch him groom himself in the mirror. "Here I thought that if you did, you would turn to stone! You must be pretty nervous about something if you're willing to take that risk..."

"Ha ha, sis... not that it's any of your business, but I'm on my way out," he informed her. "There's a certain trio of beauties that keep following me around..."

"Oh yeah? Well I only see one bouquet of flowers... peonies? Really, Chuck?" Serena questioned his lie. "This wouldn't have anything to do with a certain phone call I got earlier that I couldn't help but notice you were listening in on... with a certain best friend of mine who mentioned she's on her way here on the Jitney?"

Chuck glanced away from her and continued grooming himself in the mirror.

"I'm going to take your silence and refusal to answer as a yes... Chuck, you know she's never going to forgive you for standing her up in Tuscany," Serena reminded him.

"Like I don't already know that, sis," Chuck snapped, impatiently. "But the truth is, despite my royal screw up, I still love her and it doesn't hurt to try."

Serena couldn't help but gasp at his confession. While Nate had told her that Chuck admitted it to him several times last spring, this was the first time he was actually confirming what she already guessed. "Well if that's true, then you need to tell her!"

"That's the plan, Captain Obvious," Chuck rolled his eyes. Serena was such a blonde sometimes. "Now if you don't mind, I have to get going – enjoy another night alone with your thoughts, sis!" he quipped as he slid his jacket on and reached for the bouquet of yellow peonies on the bed.

"Good luck on your suicide mission, Chuck!" Serena called out after him.

Secretly she wished he would succeed. Chuck had been wallowing in misery all summer and based on her conversations with Blair throughout the summer, she wasn't doing any better.

* * *

Chuck sat on a bench near the bus stop, his heart began to race as he saw the 7:45pm Jitney approach.

_Now or never_, he thought as he stood to meet it.

From his place on the sidewalk, his heart jumped as he could see her walking down the aisle towards the front of the bus. She looked just as beautiful as she did when he last saw her almost three months ago, only a bit tanner.

"Allow me," he said as he reached past her to help with her luggage that she was attempting to drag off the last step of the bus.

"Chuck?" Blair gasped, upon noticing him there right in front of her. "What... what are you doing here?"

"Heard you were on your way out here, thought you might need a hand-"

"Blair, dear, is this all the luggage you've brought?" Chuck noticed a man, slightly older than them, ask her.

"Yes, James, that will be all," Blair addressed him. "James, this is Chuck, Chuck this is James – my new boyfriend. We met this summer in Paris," she informed him.

"Hello," James responded in greeting as he struggled to get the rest of her luggage off the bus. Chuck was at a loss for words. He had not anticipated her moving on so quickly.

"Chuck... who are the flowers for?" Blair questioned, noticing the bouquet in his hand.

"What? Oh... no one," Chuck replied as he snapped back into reality. Wanting to avoid what was already an awkward situation, he quickly turned to leave without saying another word, throwing the flowers in a nearby trashcan he passed.

Blair was a mix of emotions. While it was obvious her plan of rubbing James in Chuck's face was working, she hadn't expected him to meet her at the bus stop, with flowers no less. She almost felt bad for hurting him. But then she remembered just how bad he had hurt her months before.

_He deserves it... at least for a little while_, she thought to herself.

* * *

"S... the only thing more pathetic than dating Dan Humphrey is mourning over Dan Humphrey! You need to get yourself back out there – find your summer fling!" Blair urged Serena. They had spent a good bit of the morning sunbathing together on the patio, getting caught up on each other's summers.

"Well from what you told me, it sounds like you spent most of your summer in Europe wallowing in sorrow over Chuck..." Serena reminded her.

"I wouldn't say I spent the whole summer wallowing..." Blair tried to clarify. Just then she noticed Chuck coming around the corner, talking on his phone. She bit down on her lip, as mad as she still was at him, she'd be lying if she didn't admit she still wanted him. "James is the classiest guy I have ever met, S... he drinks gin martini's and speaks six languages... oh and he gave me the most amazing Bulgari pearl choker with a gold bead clasp..." Blair began to gush.

"Bet it's not as amazing as the Erickson Beamon necklace I gave you for your birthday," Chuck quipped as he took a sip from his drink. He noticed Blair shooting him a dirty look.

"B... I thought your dad gave you that choker and who's James?" Serena questioned in confusion. Then she noticed the stare down between Chuck and Blair and it dawned on her what Blair was doing. "Oh, right! James... he... he sounds quite impressive, B! Last we spoke you hadn't even met him yet..."

"Oh I know, S! He just completely swept me off my feet, he's sooooo amazing," Blair continued to gush. "And he tells the best stories..."

"You're lying," Chuck called her out.

"Am not!" she snapped back him.

"Your eyes are doing that thing where they don't match your mouth," he pointed out.

"I wasn't aware that robots got jealous," Blair remarked. "Did they upgrade your software over the summer while I was away?"

"Come on, Blair – we both know he's just some prop you found and dragged out here to hurt me... like I hurt you," he painfully admitted. "Well guess what, princess – it's working, so can we say enough with this charade and move forward already?"

"You didn't hurt me..." Blair got defensive. Serena and Chuck both shot her looks of disbelief, they both knew she was hurt and was still hurting. "Well, okay, I will admit... waiting for you in Tuscany the first few days were mildly humiliating-"

"Blair, I..." Chuck tried to apologize.

"Nuh-uh, let me finish," Blair stopped him. "When you failed to respond to any of my messages and I finally realized you really weren't coming I rallied and luckily made a friend on the trip over..."

"Boring Ben? My dad's ex employee?" Chuck questioned. "By the way, when I heard how chummy he had gotten with you, I made sure he was quickly fired."

"Well regardless, I owe him everything – he introduced me to James," Blair informed him. "I think he might be the one," she turned to Serena.

"Prove it," Chuck demanded.

"I don't have to prove anything to you!" Blair remarked. "But, I suppose if you want to get to know him better, I can arrange to have him join us all for dinner this evening... I'm sure you'll like him just as much as I do!"

"If by that you mean not at all, then you'd be correct," Chuck told her.

"Will you two stop it already!" Serena snapped. "B, clearly you're still hurt about Tuscany and Chuck, obviously her plan to use James to make you jealous is working – you two just need to sit and talk it out."

"As far as I'm concerned, there's nothing to talk about, S," Blair huffed.

"B..." Serena started.

"No! One day he's being all super romantic, sweeping me off my feet and then the next he's standing me up in Italy with no excuse as to what changed other than 'I'm sorry, I can't – don't hate me'! He wouldn't even respond to my messages! As far as I'm concerned, we're through," Blair spouted off as she stood to leave. "James and I will be at dinner at 7."

Serena and Chuck both watched as Blair stormed back into the house, hearing her slam the door to the room she was staying in upstairs behind her.

"What the hell happened last night, Chuck?" Serena questioned. "I thought you were going to tell her you love her?"

"I didn't get a chance to – before I could even greet her, there she was flaunting this James in my face..." Chuck explained as he took a seat on the now empty lounger Blair had been using.

"Despite what she says, you do know she's just being defensive and is trying to get back at you, right?" Serena told him.

"Yeah... I know... and I deserve it, although I really wish she would stop already so we could discuss things and move past this. I was hoping we could be back on track before school started," he admitted as he took another sip of his drink.

"Hey," Serena said, reaching over and placing a hand on his arm, "No matter how dirty she's willing to play until she feels better, I know she loves you too - just keep fighting for her."

"Yeah?" Chuck questioned as he looked over at Serena lounging in the chair.

"Yep! Every time I spoke to her this summer, she kept going on about how much she missed you, much like I could tell you missed her," Serena informed him.

"Thanks sis..." Chuck smiled.

_So there is still hope_, he thought to himself as he reclined into the chair.

Little did they both know, Blair was standing on the balcony above them, listening in on their whole conversation.

While she was furious at Serena for telling Chuck just how miserable she had been without him in Europe, she felt her heart race at the revelation that Chuck had showed up at the bus stop last night intending on finally telling her that he loved her. Once again, she began to feel a little bad for rubbing James in his face. But she wasn't quite ready to end the charade just yet – there was still one final test of torture she needed to put Chuck through.

* * *

"B, I know what you're doing with James, to Chuck, but I really think you need to tone it down if not stop at all... Chuck's really been trying to make an effort – believe it or not, he's been miserable all summer too. Nate and I had to practically drag him away from his suite and stash of scotch just to get him out here this summer," Serena told Blair as she spent another moment in the mirror getting ready for her date with a lifeguard who was picking her up any minute.

"What? None of the whores were a good enough distraction for him? I've seen Gossip Girl's blasts about those foreign triplets he keeps being spotted with out here..." Blair quipped from the couch as she flipped through a magazine.

Serena sighed. "If you must know, those triplets keep following him around despite his lack of interest in them – and as far as we all know, he hasn't actually been with anyone since you."

Blair was caught off guard by that revelation – she had figured Chuck spent the summer sleeping around with anything and anyone to try and get his mind off her. Before she could think of a response, they both heard a car horn outside. "Ooh a honk instead of a knock – did someone order a townie?"

Serena walked over to the window to see who it was. "Oh god – the lifeguard has a Camero... and not in an ironic 'I've got a Camero' way!" Serena fretted.

"Just go already," Blair urged her. "Good luck!"

"Yeah, you too... and I mean it with James and Chuck – if you don't watch it, you're going to go too far," Serena reminded her.

"Yeah, yeah... I have one more card to play at dinner and we'll see just how serious Chuck really is," Blair told her.

"Alright, B..."

* * *

"So, James..." Chuck began as he poured some tea around the dinner table on the veranda, "did you have a chance to meet Harold and..."

"Roman? Yes, at the chateau... although Cat didn't seem to like me too much – I have the scars to prove it," James stated.

"Scars courtesy of Blair Waldorf... something we have in common," Chuck smirked as Blair shot him an icy glare. "You certainly have crammed so much into such a short time together – I wonder, has Blair had a chance to share her favorite movies with you yet? Tiffany's? Roman Holiday... and of course, Charade?"

"I thought your third favorite was Funny Face?" James turned and asked her.

"It is," Blair assured him before turning to Chuck. "I hate Charade – Chuck, stop harassing him."

"Yeah... 'How Well Do You Know Blair Waldorf' is kind of boring for those of us that actually know Blair Waldorf," Eric chimed in.

"Not to mention transparent," Cece added.

"Why thank you, Grandma..." Chuck retorted.

"Why is it that when you say that word, it sounds like an insult?" Cece wondered. Chuck couldn't help but try to hold back from grinning. She read him quite well.

"It's quite alright – I don't mind," James said. "I would like to learn as much about Blair as I can and there's no better way to learn than through a quiz..."

"Well, it's a shame you two took a bus and not a limo," Chuck continued. "I don't know if you know this yet, but Blair just loooves limos-"

"Sweetie!" Blair addressed James, cutting Chuck off before he went any further. "Will you please pass me the salt and pepper?"

"Pardon my reach," James apologized as he reached past Chuck to retrieve the condiments.

It was then that a certain heart-shaped charm pinned to James' sleeve caught Chuck's attention.

_Bitch! _He screamed in his head_. How could she?!_

He shot her a look full of anger mixed with disbelief. She returned his look with an icy stare of her own. It was his move now.

"Excuse me," he breathed deeply. "I... I think I just lost my appetite," he said, quickly excusing himself from the table and rushing off.

Seeing how heartbroken Chuck became at the sight of the pin, Blair began to feel bad. Clearly he wasn't up for this. Perhaps Serena was right and she went too far.

"Excuse me," she apologized to the rest of the table as she got up to follow after him.

* * *

"Chuck, wait," she gently called after him as she finally caught up to him in the nearby gardens. She grabbed him by his arm and pulled him around to face her. She felt horrible when she the tears welling up in his eyes.

"Look, I know what that pin means to you – you gave it to Nate the first time you told him you loved him," Chuck reminded her.

"Well I asked for it back..." she pointed out.

"Only to give it to this James whom you barely know," Chuck stated. "Do you... do you really feel the same way about him as you did Nate?" he asked her. "As you did me?" he added as he held up his wrist, revealing the gold chain with the similar heart charm she had given him for Christmas last year.

Blair covered her mouth with her hands as she let out a silent gasp – it hadn't occurred to her that he still wore it.

"I... I don't know..." she stumbled, trying to fight back tears.

"Well, maybe you should have this back as well until you figure it out," Chuck quietly remarked as he began to fiddle with the clasp.

"Chuck – no!" Blair cried as she reached out and stopped him from taking it off. "Don't – it was a gift, I want you to keep it."

He looked her in the eyes, "Blair... I can't do this," he told her, fighting back tears. "I'll... I'll see you back at school next week," he said as he walked away from her. He didn't want her to see him cry.

She felt horrible – while she wanted to hurt him as badly as he had hurt her, she didn't realize she would feel this bad about it when she finally succeeded.

She wiped away the tears that were on the verge of falling and quickly hurried back to the dinner table.

"Silly me," she said to James as she reached to remove the charm from his sleeve. "My pin must have gotten caught on your sweater!"

"Odd, I didn't feel a thing," he replied.

"Me neither," she mumbled as she sat down to taste her meal.

* * *

"Damn that Mother-Chucker! He's right, I don't even like James!" Blair admitted to Serena as they strolled along the shopping district.

"Thank you! I was waiting for that!" Serena sighed in relief.

"I only hooked up with him a week ago because I knew I couldn't be seen getting off the plane alone and it would kill me to have Chuck know he completely ruined my summer," she confessed.

"Oh, B... I'm sorry - was it really that bad?"

"I would be in my cabana or watching fireworks and all I could see was that... that Basstard!" Blair screamed in anger.

"Well like I said, B... he seemed pretty miserable all summer too... and James didn't seem all that bad..."

"Oh Serena, you can quit lying – James has served his purpose and with Chuck heading home early, I can break it off with James just in time to enjoy the White Party stag," Blair told her. "How'd things go with your lifeguard last night?"

"Ugh about as well as things went with you, Chuck and James – after a few hours with that guy I needed some life-saving, not guarding," Serena said in disgust. "And I can't believe you, by the way – the pin with the heart charm, B? Really? That was low!"

"Yeah, I realized that a little too late, S... but if it's any consolation, he passed my final test and you're right, he does seem serious about us working things out," Blair told her. "Did you know he still wears the chain with the heart charm I gave him for Christmas?"

Serena sighed. "Yes, B... of course he does – it's obvious that despite whatever got into him right before Tuscany, his feelings for you haven't changed."

* * *

"The limo's taking me back in hour," Chuck told Nate as they strolled along the sidewalk. "You're welcome to join me..."

"What? You're not going to the White Party?" Nate asked in confusion. "Pretty girls, in white dresses? C'mon man!"

"Unless there's a sprinkler, I really don't care..." Chuck stated. Nate gave him a puzzled look. "And okay, if you must know, I really don't feel like having Blair throw her call-boy in my face anymore."

"Ahh... so that's the real reason," Nate caught on. "Speak of the devil..."

Just then him and Nate walked right into Blair and Serena.

"Good morning, Waldorf," Chuck hissed.

"It was until now..." Blair sighed.

"Nate, why didn't you call me back this morning?" Serena asked him, pulling him aside.

"Where's Princeton?" Chuck inquired as they waited for Serena and Nate to finish their private conversation. "I'm a little surprised you let him get away."

"James goes to Georgetown," Blair corrected him. "And unlike you, I don't lose something if I let it out of my sight."

"I don't know where you've been, but your boy-toy is a Princeton man," Chuck informed her. "Him and I talked about it while you played dress up with Serena last night."

"You misheard, Chuck – he's always going on and on about his crew division and his eating club... he's Georgetown all the way," she told him.

"I know he said Princeton."

"Georgetown."

"Princeton."

"Georgetown!" she shouted at him.

Chuck was too busy focusing on her juicy lips to continue arguing with her.

"Just shut up and kiss me already," he stated as in one swift motion he pulled her towards him with an arm around her waist, taking her lips in his.

Much to his surprise, she didn't pull away immediately, but rather returned his kiss with her own. Serena and Nate both stopped their conversation mid-sentence to witness the scene, both in utter shock.

After a moment, they both slowly pulled their lips apart, Blair with her eyes still closed.

"You Mother-Chucking Basstard!" she cried out, realizing what had just happened. She removed her arms from his shoulders and violently pushed him away. "Serena! Let's go!"

Chuck couldn't help but smile to himself as he watched her storm off. There was still an undeniable spark between them. James really did mean nothing to her.

* * *

"So, not only does James not go to Princeton, but there's also no record of him being at Georgetown... or any of the big schools for that matter," Eric informed Chuck as they played some crochet with Nate.

"Since when did you become Sherlock Holmes?" Nate wonder out loud.

"So... do you think James is-" Eric began.

"An Untalented Mr Ripley?" Chuck suggested. "If you want to get in with the upper class, there's no easier way than by a wronged woman... it's time to call in the big guns," Chuck stated as he pulled out his phone to call his PI.

"He's got a PI on speed dial..." Chuck heard Eric say in awe.

* * *

Blair had decided she would break it off with James that afternoon while they were out for a casual bike ride. Somewhere public, where he would be less likely to make a scene.

"James... these past few days with you have been exactly what I needed..." Blair started.

"Me too, Blair... which is why there is something I need to tell you-" James began.

"Me first!" Blair interrupted. "Look, James... you're a great guy and all, but... well, the truth is, I don't see this going anywhere."

"Excuse me?" he questioned in disbelief.

"It's true... I appreciate you coming here, but I don't feel right about leading you on when I've come to realize that nothing more is going to come of this casual relationship," Blair confessed.

"I... I don't understand," James replied.

"I'm sorry," Blair apologized. She gave him a shrug as she got back on her bike and rode off. She didn't have anything more to say to him and she needed to get ready for the White Party in a few hours.

* * *

"Where's your date?" she heard his low husky voice ask from behind her.

"Chuck!" she cried in surprised as she turned around to face him. "What are you doing here? I thought you were heading home?"

"Yeah, well... I changed my mind," he admitted. "So... where's Princeton at?"

Blair looked around in a panic, spotting James approaching from the other side of the room. "Why, he's right there!" she pointed out to Chuck. "James! There you are!" she said as she took off towards him.

"Blair, I know you said we were over, but I there is something I need to confess to you..." he began.

"Of course there is!" she giggled as she threw her arms around him, trying to make Chuck jealous once again.

"But I... I didn't say anything funny," James said in confusion. "And why are you acting so..." but then he caught Chuck brewing just a few feet away. "Oh... I see what's going on here! You were just using me... to make him jealous, weren't you! That's why you broke up with me – you thought he had left so you had no use for me anymore!" James turned and walked away from her.

Blair sighed. "James, wait!" she called after him.

"That's why you hate Charade, isn't it? It hits too close to him!" James retorted.

"You don't understand! He hurt me, so I needed to hurt him back..." Blair confessed.

"So you hurt me in the process? Blair, my feelings for you were beginning to deepen, but now I see all this meant nothing to you... did you even like me!?" James questioned.

Blair hesitated. "Well... maybe just a little, as friends? But the truth is, I find you rather boring..."

"Really? Or were you just too self-absorbed to get to know me?" James asked. He noticed Chuck watching. "I hope you accomplished your goal – you two deserve each other." He remarked as he walked away.

Blair stood there in utter disbelief.

"Well, princess, looks like you not only succeeded in getting back at me, but you also hurt 'James' as well," Chuck stated from behind her as he slipped a possessive arm around her waist and breathed in her scent around the nape of her exposed neck. "Now that that's over with, shall we continue where we left off earlier this afternoon?"

"This is all your fault!" she snapped at him as she moved out of his embrace. "I never would have needed to use a James if you hadn't stood me up in Tuscany! You made me use him!"

"I didn't make you do anything – you did it on your own," he told her. "Can't you see we're the same? Stop trying to deny it."

Blair sighed. She knew he was right, but she still needed to apologize to James – she was better than that.

"I'll be right back," she told him as she ran after James.

* * *

"James, I'm sorry!" Blair apologized once she caught up to him. "You were right – I was using you to make Chuck jealous... I didn't need you to be interesting, so I didn't bother listening – I just needed you to look good."

"I'm afraid we have something in common," James began to confess his secret as they walked along the grassy knoll.

* * *

"Just in time," Chuck responded as he answered his phone. "What do you got?" His heart sank as his PI informed him that James' name was really Marcus Beaton and that he was a real British Lord.

He quickly looked around to see where Blair and Marcus had gotten to, in hopes that it wasn't too late to get her away from him. He knew once she found out that she wouldn't be able to resist royalty. He wouldn't stand a chance.

Much to his dismay and horror, it looked like she had just found out the truth.

* * *

"What...?" Blair asked in disbelief. "Why didn't you tell me before?"

"Most women only like me for my title," Marcus explained. "So I swore that next time I would pose as a common American and see what happened... but after a few days with you, I thought that if I told you the truth, well... I thought you would hate me for lying..."

"Well... while it's true I'm not fond of lying, my Lord..." Blair managed to squeak out, "The title is great and all but what I'd like most of all is honesty."

"When you told me before that I was boring... well it did kind of turn me on," he informed her. "No one ever tells me things like – I liked it... tell me, Blair – what else do you think about me?"

"Well... keep talking in that accent we'll see," Blair smirked as she began walking off with him, completely forgetting about Chuck. She was in awe of being in the presence of real royalty.

* * *

Chuck found her a little while later waiting out front.

"Chuck, he's-"

"...a British Lord, I know," Chuck said sadly. "I assume he told you and that's why you disappeared with him?"

Blair nodded, regretfully.

"Blair, we need to talk."

"Right now, Chuck?" Blair asked impatiently. "Can't you see I'm waiting for Marcus to pull the car around?"

"Look, I never should have abandoned you in Tuscany – I regretted it as soon as I sent you that text," Chuck confessed, taking her hands in his. "I was miserable all summer without you, Blair."

"And?" she questioned, looking longingly into his eyes.

"The truth is, I was scared, Blair – I was afraid that if we spent the whole summer together, just us... you wouldn't like what you saw," he continued. "I know I screwed things up between us, and I wish I could take it all back... but please, just give me another chance – don't leave with him," he begged her.

"Why, Chuck? Give me a reason to stay – and 'I'm Chuck Bass' doesn't count."

"Because you really don't want to," he suggested.

"Not good enough, Chuck."

"Because I don't want you to," he tried again.

"No," she began to cry. "That's not enough!"

"What else is there?" he pleaded with her, taking her chin in his hand and looking her in the eyes.

"The true reason why I should stay just where I am and not get in that car, Chuck," she told him. "Three words, eight letters – say it and I'm yours."

"I..." Chuck stumbled on his words. "But I can't..." he sadly confessed.

"Yes, you can," Blair cried. "You can tell Nate and you can tell Serena... but you can't actually tell me?!"

"Blair... I'm sorry..." he whispered as he began to tear up, taking her tightly into his arms where he felt her sob against his chest. "I just... I can't... yet..."

"Why not?!" she sobbed. "If it's true then why can't you just tell me?"

"Because we both know that when those three little words are finally said... everything will change," he told her.

"And that's a bad thing?" she questioned.

"I'm just not ready, Blair," he confessed. "Please believe me – it's not that I don't, I'm just not ready for everything to change yet."

Just then they heard the roar of Marcus' old fashioned convertible pull up.

"My ride is here," Blair remarked as she pulled out of his arms, wiping away a few stray tears.

"Blair, please..." Chuck tried to stop her, holding on to her hand as she turned away from him.

"Goodbye, Chuck – I'll see you back in the city," she sadly replied, slipping her hand out of his as she went to approach Marcus.

"Arthur, I'd like to head back tonight – immediately – if you don't mind. Please pick me up from the White Party, I'll be waiting," Chuck instructed his driver over the phone. He needed to get away from there and the sooner he was back at home, the better.

* * *

"Is everything okay, Blair?" Marcus questioned as they pulled away.

"If you don't mind, I'd like to retire for the night, if you could drop me off at the Rhodes' estate." Blair requested.

"Of course," Marcus replied.

She thanked Marcus for the ride home and promptly went upstairs and locked herself in her room, throwing herself down on the bed and crying herself to sleep. She just didn't understand why he could admit to everyone but her that he loved her when she was the one that actually needed to hear it from him.

* * *

Chuck's driver arrived within ten minutes of him making the call. Chuck helped himself to the full bottle of scotch he had stashed away in the mini-bar, drinking it straight out of the bottle.

He just wanted to forget this night and hope they could start fresh once everyone was back in the city. Hopefully Blair would grow tired of the Lord sooner rather than later.

* * *

_A/N: As you can see, I am doing the Marcus storyline, but don't worry - it's short as he's only sticking around for another chapter. And sorry about all the tears and feels at the end there, but obviously it had to be done! The next chapter will make up for it though - I promise!_

_As always, thanks for all the reviews and follows/favorites! And Happy New Year!_


	9. Chapter 9 - Her Dark Knight

_AN: Happy New Year everyone! Here's the conclusion to the Marcus storyline - like I said, his part in this Chairytale is very brief. And hopefully the Chair interaction in this chapter makes up for the sadness of the last chapter!_

* * *

"Hey, man – just wanted to call and check in that you made it back okay," Nate inquired over the phone.

"Never been better..." Chuck lied as he sat in bed trying to enjoy his first scotch of the day.

"Are you sure? I was a bit surprised to find out that you had left right away... and that Blair was still here..." Nate explained.

"I'll be fine, Nathaniel – I have a plan," Chuck informed him. "Marcus and I had discussed meeting up for squash once they were back in the city... I'm thinking I might just take him up on the offer."

"No offense, man... but don't you think you're just a little outmatched?" Nate asked.

"At squash?" Chuck questioned, "I've been playing against my father since the eighth grade – how good could Marcus be?"

"No, I mean as a guy – Blair wants to be a princess and your greatest achievement is... owning a burlesque club," Nate pointed out.

"Which is why I have to get to know him – no one's that perfect... once I get him out of the way then I'll have a clear shot at getting Blair back," Chuck elaborated.

"Well you know it's love when you start talking like an assassin."

"I think you're jealous of my new best friend."

"I have been hoping someone would tag in for awhile now," Nate joked.

Just then they both heard the other line beep on Chuck's end.

"Nathaniel, it's been nice catching up, but I really must take this call," Chuck told him. "Call me when you're back in the city – we'll hang out."

"Will do, man – and good luck!"

"Hello, Mrs. Archibald..." Chuck responded as he flipped the call over. "Yes, I actually was just on the other line with him... no, he doesn't know a thing about this and like you, I'd prefer to keep it that way."

Chuck knew Nate would be less than thrilled to learn his best friend was bailing out his family for the time being. But when Nate's mother had called, desperate for help, Chuck couldn't turn her away – Nate was basically like a brother to him after all.

"I spoke with my broker this morning, he said the transaction should be completed by tomorrow afternoon," he explained to her. "Don't worry about it – I'm in no hurry, and I'm glad I was able to help out... you have a wonderful day too!"

"Mr Bass – your arrival from Tokyo is here," the doorman informed him as a Japanese stewardess entered the room behind him.

"Why thank you," Chuck responded as he made his way towards the woman in question. "Right this way, my dear..."

* * *

"Who was that?" Serena asked Chuck as she passed the small Japanese woman in the hallway.

"A whiff of the Far East," Chuck retorted as he poured himself another scotch from the kitchen.

"Sometimes I envy you..." Serena started. "No, wait... I don't. You are so disgusting! What about Blair?!"

"Relax – nothing happened with Madame Butterfly..."

"Yeah right..."

"No... nothing happened. Just like nothing's been happening for days," Chuck hissed as he took a sip of his drink.

"What are you talking about? The doorman said you've had different girls up here ever since you got back..." then it dawned on Serena as she let out a laugh. "Oh my god! No..." she gasped.

"Don't say it..." Chuck glared at her.

"Oh my god!" she laughed. "You can't get it up!"

"It's not funny!" Chuck glared at her once more.

"But... you must have tried-"

"Everything!" he exclaimed in frustration. "Even those erotic pharmaceuticals..."

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry... I know it's not funny, but... this is _you_ we're talking about here!"

"How do you think _I_ feel?!"

"Chuck, you know what this means, right?"

"What?"

"This is your body's way of saying you're not over Blair!"

"Serena..." Chuck started but then soon paused to think it over. "While I don't think that's quite the cause for my current predicament, you do raise an interesting theory... clearly there's some sort of blockage..."

"No, Chuck – you are NOT using Blair as sexual Drano!"

"Excuse me, Serena, but there's a phone call I need to make..." he said with a grin as he began to head back to his room. He needed to his plan to come between Blair and Marcus set into motion.

"Chuck!" Serena called out after him. "Don't you dare!"

* * *

"Dorota... while all the arrangements for the party look fantastic, I'm sad to say this guest list is quite a bore," Blair informed her maid.

"But Miss Blair – they are your friends..."

"Then invite strangers! I have to present myself as a crowned jewel – find some more people that can vote so it doesn't feel like a complete high school party," Blair ordered.

"Yes Miss Blair..." Dorota said as she hurried off.

"Moving your annual Back to School party up a few days, B?" Serena questioned as she entered the penthouse. "I got your message – how are things with The Lord?"

"Well, it's not often you find a man that's so intelligent, sophisticated... has an appreciation for Golden Age Hollywood and is a gentleman to boot – do you know he hasn't pressured me about sex? Not even once? At all..." Blair sighed.

"Wow, sounds like you really like him, B..."

"Well aside from his lack of interest in sex, I think I may be in love, Serena!"

"Really, Blair? Love?"

"What? Why is that so hard to believe?"

"B... you fell completely head over heels for Chuck, I find it hard to believe you'd be over him so soon and crazy in love with someone else already. This seems too much like a whirlwind romance... or should I say rebound?"

"Fine," Blair sighed. "Truth, is I'm really not all that into him still..."

"Then why-"

"His title, S! He's a Lord, and with that comes connections – I'd like to keep things going with him until I can at least befriend the Dutchess and make some royal contacts before things eventually head South," Blair explained. "Is that too much to ask for?"

"No, B... I suppose not," Serena sighed with a smile. "Leave it to you to date a Lord just to social climb - so, is that why there's such a rush for your party?"

"Yeah... apparently Marcus doesn't think I'm worthy of meeting his family and I want to prove otherwise immediately so we can get this over with."

"B... you don't have to do this..."

"Yes, I do, S – Marcus dated a descendant of Princess Grace's... hey Dan knows soccer, right? Or football as I guess Marcus calls it – it wouldn't be too weird for you if he came, would it?" Blair asked.

"No... not necessarily..."

"Good, so that means you'll call him?"

"Wait, are you saying you think Dan actually has some redeeming qualities?"

"As long as he knows his R's from his arsenal then I think he's aces," Blair smiled.

"Well that's good because actually B, I wanted to talk to you about him..."

"You're not back together with him, are you?" Blair gasped.

"Look, B... I know you don't approve of him-" Serena started.

"That's true."

"And I know he's not the... twenty-second Lord of West Moorelandshire or wherever-"

"Also true."

"Why can't you just support me?"

"Have you two talked about everything?" Blair inquired. "About all the very real reasons you broke up last spring?"

"Well... not completely..."

"Well when you do – if you're still together after that – then I'll be happy for you. Until then, I think you're just fooling yourselves," Blair told her.

"Whatever Blair – I think you have this party under control. I'll see you there tomorrow night," Serena retorted as she quickly retreated, not wanting to deal with a judgmental Blair.

* * *

"You seem a bit off your game," Chuck remarked as he proceeded to whip Marcus in squash at the indoor sports club his father owned. "Anything I can help with?"

"No, no one can help with this..." Marcus replied. "It's the Dutchess... you know how it is..."

"Indulge me," Chuck requested.

"Well... it's like this – I've dated a lot of girls before, but she always sends them away running... it's like she gets inside their heads!" Marcus explained. "And of course Blair is desperate to meet her..."

"Not surprising - I know how she can get when she sets her mind on something," Chuck smiled.

"Exactly!" Marcus said as she dove for the ball. "I believe that's another match – I'd say let's go again, but I have to get ready for Blair's party tonight... I assume you'll be attending?"

This was the first Chuck was hearing about Blair having a party tonight – usually her Back to School party wasn't until the weekend before school resumed, not in the middle of the week.

"Yes... yes I will be," he grinned. Invited or not, it never stopped him before – especially how after the last party of hers that he crashed ended so well.

"Well then, I will see you there," Marcus told him as he reached to shake hands. "I must say, Charles, I was a bit surprised to get your call, considering what happened last weekend at that White Party with Blair choosing to leave with me..."

"Ah, well... what happened is between Blair and me – no reason you and I can't still be friends," Chuck smiled devilishly. Little did Marcus know, he was really just trying to find out the best way to break them up.

"Right... well, see you this evening at Blair's then!" Marcus told him as he left with his royal escort.

* * *

"Chuck!" Blair exclaimed in utter shocked as she saw him step off her elevator and into her party.

"I love it when you scream my name," he smirked as Blair came storming towards him.

"What are you doing here? I purposely didn't invite you..." she declared.

"Like that's stopped me before, however if you'd like, I'd be happy to remind you about your seventeenth birthday party..." he grinned.

"Ugh, no," Blair sighed in disgust. "Seriously, why are you here? And who is this?" she asked in reference to the cougar-looking date he had brought with him.

"Well you see, I thought you'd want to meet my friend-"

"Why? So she can warn me about the affects of too much botox?"

Chuck couldn't help but let a laugh slip out at that remark. Blair had no idea the hole her jealousy was digging herself into.

"Blair, is it?" the woman next to Chuck asked. "I'm Dutchess Beaton."

"D...Dutchess?" Blair's jaw dropped as she stood there bewildered. She had just insulted Marcus's stepmother. "Nice to meet you... and I am so, so sorry about what I just said in regards to the botox – your work is flawless!"

"Look, I appreciate the apology, however, despite your best efforts – which are completely transparent by the way – Marcus is never going to end up with a lowly Waldorf," the Dutchess informed Blair.

Quickly turning back to Chuck, Blair forcefully grabbed him by the arm. "Excuse us for a moment, Dutchess..." she said, pulling him away.

"Chuck! Why did you do that?!" she exclaimed once they were out of the Dutchess's earshot.

"What? Marcus mentioned during squash earlier that you were just dying to meet her... I thought I would just speed things up a bit..." he smirked at her.

"You mean speed up the destruction of my relationship with Marcus?" she hissed. "You, Chuck Bass, are living proof that a person can't buy class..."

"You're really going to tell me that he's satisfying your needs? Titles aside, a suit of armor makes for a cold bedfellow..."

"Not that it's any of your business, Chuck, but Marcus and I have a great sex life," Blair lied.

"Oh really? Is that so?"

"Yes..." she replied shyly.

"What names does he call you when you make love?" Chuck pressed her.

"I'm not even going to dignify that vulgar question with a response," she retorted as she turned to walk away from him. He quickly grabbed her wrist though, pulling her into him.

"Where does he... put his hand?" he whispered into her ear as he ran a finger across the exposed flesh of her collarbone, down along the side of her dress.

Blair was trying not to breathe too heavily as she closed her eyes, trying to stay focused. Chuck knew just what buttons to push to turn her on.

"Does he know exactly how you like it... to make you scream out in ecstasy... like I do?" he questioned softly as he breathed along the length of her neck.

"Chuck..." she panted instinctively, squeezing his hand in want.

"Have sex with me," he requested as he began kissing her along her ear.

"What?!" Blair snapped back to reality.

"Please?" Chuck asked, longingly. "I'll make you forget all about him..."

"You are disgusting!" she yelled at him.

"If that's so, then why are you still holding my hand?" he questioned her with a grin.

Upon realizing he was right, she quickly pulled away. "I need to go find Marcus..." she declared as she stormed off.

"You'll give in eventually, Waldorf..." Chuck smiled to himself, knowing it would only be a matter of time.

* * *

She no sooner left Chuck to find The Lord when the lights suddenly went off.

"It's a city-wide blackout!" she heard someone yell out.

"It'll be alright, everyone! We have plenty of candles!" Blair informed her guests.

Still worked into a flustered frenzy from her run-in with Chuck, she decided to take advantage of the darkness as a distraction and see if she couldn't get Marcus to give into her.

Finding him rather quickly, she passionately pulled him into a kiss.

"Blair, dear – I'm on the phone with the building manager..." Marcus protested.

"I need you..." she breathed as she once again tried forcing her tongue down his throat.

"Has something happened? Everyone seems quite calm..." Marcus noted.

"No – _I _need you... now!" Blair tried to convey to him.

"Blair... we have this blackout, and guests... we can't just-"

"You don't understand, Marcus – I need you... your touch..." she breathed seductively.

"What are you talking about?" he asked in confusion.

Blair sighed, the man was hopeless. "Just... meet me upstairs in my bedroom, okay?"

Chuck quietly watched the scene from a nearby distance, trying not to chuckle too loudly at Blair's desperate failed attempts to lure clueless Marcus into her bed.

_Clearly she has an itch that needs scratching, _he thought to himself._ And you're the only one that can cure it..._

With that thought, he waited momentarily to see if Marcus would be following her upstairs right away. When the Lord made no such movement, Chuck decided he would go help Blair out.

* * *

"Marcus, is that you?" Blair asked as the door to her bedroom opened.

Chuck waited a moment in the doorway, watching her silhouette sit on the bed, facing out the window with her back turned to the door as he contemplated his next move.

"Blow out your candle," he whispered.

As she did so, he slowly made his way around the bed, in the dark, approaching her side near the window. Pulling her to him with his arms around her waist, he began to passionately kiss her.

Blair was relieved he had come, however...

_His kiss is different... _she thought._ It's almost exactly like I'm kissing..._

"Chuck?" she questioned as she briefly pulled back. In the soft glow of the moonlight, as she opened her eyes, she had her answer, staring right back at her.

In that moment she felt her heart leap at the sudden revelation that it really was Chuck and not just her imagination. She instantly returned his passionate kiss, throwing her arms around his neck and desperately running her fingers through his hair.

"Blair..." he sighed in relief at the fact that she hadn't pushed him away when she realized it was him, much like she had last weekend when he kissed her at the Hamptons.

"Chuck..." she panted and quietly moaned over and over as she felt his wandering hands ravage her dress along her thighs, occasionally squeezing her derriere as his mouth proceeded to leave kisses all along her neck and exposed collarbone.

"I'm so sorry, Blair..." Chuck breathed in between kissing her. "For everything..."

"I'm sorry too, Chuck..." she forced out. Her body was hungry for him and she didn't want him to stop. "I didn't mean for things to go as far as they did..."

"It's alright, Blair... we're here now..." he panted.

"God, how I missed you!" she breathed. "Take me, Chuck – make love to me," she cried out, throwing her head back as he kissed the one spot on her neck that he knew drove her crazy.

"Blair?" she heard Marcus's voice from across the room.

Neither of them had noticed that the lights came back on. Blair quickly dropped her arms from around Chuck's neck.

"Oh my god, oh my god..." she uttered frantically. "Marcus... you don't understand..."

"Understand what, exactly?" Marcus spat.

"At first... it was dark and... I... I thought he was you...?" she tried to lie.

"You knew from the moment I kissed you it was me," Chuck corrected her.

Before either of them could say another word, Marcus stormed towards Chuck, punching him in the face.

"Marcus!" Blair screamed as he stormed passed her and back out the door.

"Why is it I keep getting punched in the face by guys you reject?" Chuck quipped as he held a hand to his stinging cheek.

"Let me see that," Blair instructed as she gently pulled Chuck's hand from his face.

"He doesn't hit nearly as hard as Nathaniel," Chuck quickly pointed out.

Blair sighed. "I'll be right back – see if I can't do some damage control and get you some ice."

"A cold glass of scotch would do just fine," Chuck called after her as she followed Marcus down the stairs.

* * *

"Marcus, wait!" Blair called after him as she caught up to him on the stairs.

"Did you really not know it was him?" Marcus questioned her. "Can you honestly tell me that?!"

"No... like he said, I knew it was him as soon as he kissed me," Blair confessed.

"Thank you – now I know, you never really were in this relationship, were you? You were only interested in getting to know me because of this damned title, weren't you?"

"Yes..." she admitted bashfully.

"And you clearly want him! Which makes me a fool... because I did want you!"

"I'm sorry, Marcus... I tried, but... the chemistry and what I have with Chuck... with you, it just doesn't compare!"

"Well then, we are through, Blair," Marcus said as he continued to storm off down the stairs, leaving Blair almost feeling sorry for him.

"Everything okay?" Chuck asked as he approached her from behind.

"Hm?" Blair said, snapping back from her thoughts as to what just happened.

"Oh, yeah... everything's fine now," she turned and smiled at him. "Let's go get you some ice, before your cheek starts to swell and bruise," she told him, taking his hand and leading him down the stairs and towards the kitchen.

* * *

Much to their surprise, they stumbled in on the Dutchess in a state of undress, on top of the kitchen table with a much younger man half dressed on top of her.

Before anyone else could react, Chuck quickly snapped a picture, knowing it might come in handy later.

"Ewww! That's my table!" Blair shrieked once she registered the sight in front of her.

The Dutchess quickly sat up, pulling what she could of her dress over her exposed chest and throwing off the young man that was on top of her.

"Nathaniel?!" Chuck exclaimed in shock, seeing who it was The Dutchess was being frisky with.

"Oh my god!" Blair screamed. "Nate! What are you doing?!"

"Chuck, Blair... it's... hey wait, are you two back together finally?" Nate wondered.

"Yes-" Chuck quickly replied

"Maybe... that still needs to be discussed," Blair glanced over at Chuck. "But hey! Don't change the subject, Archibald!"

"Okay, fine - it's not what you think..."

"That we didn't just catch you in a compromising position with The Dutchess – who's married by the way?!" Blair reminded him.

"Um, well... okay, yeah, that kind of is what it is, but... you don't understand – she's paying me for sex to help my family with our money troubles!" Nate explained.

"Nate, shut up!" The Dutchess hissed at him.

"But Nathaniel, I just spoke to your mother the other day..." Chuck began to tell him.

"I know, Chuck, and I figured it out, but I just can't accept your money..." Nate admitted.

"Well I guess it's a good thing I snapped a picture," Chuck informed them. "Shall I send it to Gossip Girl or The Duke? Your call Dutchess... unless you want to make a deal?"

"You wouldn't!" she snapped.

"Oh but he would – clearly you Brits don't know who you're up against," Blair began to fill her in. "I'm Blair Waldorf, he's Chuck Bass and we _always_ get what we want."

"And unless you want your husband and the rest of the Upper East Side to know what a cheating cougar you are, I suggest you pay Nathaniel here exactly what you promised him and be on your merry way, taking your stepson with you," Chuck demanded.

"Fine," The Dutchess sighed, reluctantly accepting the terms as she quickly made herself decent. "Remind me to tell Marcus never to get involved with no-good Americans ever again!"

"Well you're one to talk – Nate is American after all..." Blair reminded her. "Oh and Dutchess – I lied, when I said your work was flawless, you could clearly use a breast lift!" she added, holding out one of The Dutchess's shoes for her as she stormed out of the kitchen.

"You have til noon tomorrow to have the money to him, otherwise I send the picture!" Chuck called out after her.

"Wow... so uh... thanks you guys, I guess..." Nate stumbled. "I guess I owe you both – who knows how long she was going to keep me as her own personal Gigolo."

"That's so disgusting, Nate..." Blair remarked as she walked over to the freezer and retrieved a frozen steak for Chuck's face.

"Don't worry about it, Nathaniel – it's what friends do for each other," Chuck told him as he sat himself on top of the island counter.

"Yeah, but again – thanks!" Nate said once again. "So... you two made up?"

"We're working on it," Blair informed him as she gently applied the steak to Chuck's cheek, stepping in between his open legs.

"I told you, a cold glass of scotch would have been just fine," he winced as the freezing steak made contact with his skin.

"What happened to you?" Nate asked.

"Marcus punched him," Blair said matter of factly.

"Why...? Chuck, what did you do?" Nate wondered suspiciously.

"He tricked me into kissing him in the dark, upstairs in my room... only I didn't stop him once I realized it was him and well, Marcus caught us about to have sex once the lights came back on," Blair explained.

"Didn't need to know that last detail, but okay," Nate stated.

"Speaking of that last part... will we be continuing what we started later this evening?" Chuck inquired, reaching out to gently cup her face in his hand, stroking her cheek with his finger, full of hope.

"We'll see..." Blair told him, stopping to look up and smile at him.

He smiled back at her. It was all the assurance he needed.

"Yeah... I'm going to leave you two alone here now, before this gets anymore awkward," Nate said, brushing past them.

"Your guests can fend for themselves," Chuck started once Nate was gone. "Why don't we go back upstairs and we can discuss the sudden turn of events?" he suggested.

"Alright," Blair nodded, offering a hand to help him slide down off the counter. "But with our clothes on... until I say otherwise," she added with a smirk.

"I suppose I can agree to that," Chuck said with his own smirk as he gently kissed her hand before she led them out. "At least... for now," he added.

* * *

"Wait right here - I'm going to slip into something more... comfortable," she smirked while instructing him as he sat down on the edge of her bed. "There's some candles in the nightstand – why don't you go ahead and light them?"

"Alright," he agreed as he watched her make her way to the en suite.

_God I love her, _he thought to himself as he began setting up the candles around the room._ But, I wonder... _an idea popped into his head. He knew he could wait a little longer, but could she?

Chuck had removed his ascot and undone the first few buttons of his shirt, standing in front of the electric fireplace finishing off a glass of scotch as he watched the fake embers burn, the room illuminated only by the candles and fireplace when Blair finally emerged from the bathroom wearing just her black lacy stockings, a crimson matching bra and panty set with black lace trim and a matching pair of heels. He looked over at her, only to find himself breathless. He realized he was a fool for leaving her in Tuscany all those months ago.

Slowly she approached him, first running her fingers along the exposed skin of his neck, before they found their way to his hair. Next thing she knew, he had one hand around her waist, another around her back. Who kissed who first, they weren't sure, however the passion soon had them making their way over towards the bed, where Blair fell down backwards first, with Chuck gently landing on top of her.

"Say it," he breathed between her hungry kisses.

"Say what?" she panted. "I'll say anything."

"Say those three words you wanted me to say."

"Are you kidding?" she asked hesitantly as he pulled back just slightly.

"Not quite," he smirked at her. "Eight letters... three syllables... say them and I'm yours."

"But... I'm already yours, Chuck, and you're ruining the mood with all this talk," she pointed out to him as she tried to pull him towards her so she could continue kissing him.

"You can't say it," he said out loud. "You wanted it from me..."

"Well, I'm prepared to settle..." she tried pulling him towards her one more time.

"Maybe I'm not..." he realized as he pushed himself up.

"Seriously Chuck?!" Blair demanded an answer. "Is this about Marcus? He was merely a pawn in a game I was playing..."

"Well, maybe I want to raise the stakes," he quipped, putting on his jacket. "Are you ready to play a new game? I chased you – now it's time you chase me."

Blair sat up on the bed, completely flabbergasted at what just happened.

"Chuck!" she called out after him as he made his way to the door. "Get back here, you Mother-Chucker!"

"You know where to find me, Princess," he smirked at her once more before leaving the room.

She couldn't believe what had just happened.

_The good news is, he clearly still wants you, _she thought to herself. _The bad news is, he's going to make you work for it._

Blair sighed in frustration as she threw herself back down on the bed. She would have to come up with a game plan first thing tomorrow.

* * *

_AN: As you can see, certain storylines are happening sooner than they did in canon. I already know where I'm going with the upcoming chapters (which will mix and blend storylines from various episodes in the first half of season 2) as I've already outlined this entire story, but what do you think? Will Chuck and Blair say those 3 little words already or do you think they'll hold out for just a bit longer? (I can assure you that Chuck won't be waiting til the end of season 2, that's for sure!)._

_Dunno where you all live, but here (in Northern Illinois) we're supposed to have a -54 degree windchill tomorrow! Wherever you live, be sure to stay warm!_

_And as always, thanks again for all the reviews/comments and favorites/follows!_


	10. Chapter 10 - Say the Words

_AN: So I survived probably 2 of the coldest days I have ever experienced in my lifetime (and I'm willing to bet I'm a little older than the assumed majority on this site =D ). And because of the weather, my Monday shift at work was cut short so I basically hibernated in my house for 36+ hours straight. That gave me quite a bit of time to write and rewatch Chair scenes and since the mood struck me, I got ahead of myself on this little Chairytale and have the next few chapters already typed up (just need to do an edit on em and decide if I want to do Bart's accident and funeral as 2 smaller chapters or 1 long chapter as the equivalent of a double episode), hence why this one is being posted a bit sooner than my usual 5-7 days between chapters (To give some insight to my writing process here, on average I find it takes me about 5 hours to write one of these chapters in full, and once I get started I like to go til the idea is complete so I'll often write it all in one sitting/night and then step away from it for a day or so and come back and make edits/changes)._

_I will apologize a little bit though, as a good bit of this chapter is true to canon, however I did once again combine storylines from different episodes to change it up a little bit._

_That being said, enjoy!_

* * *

Blair awoke, panting, flustered and hot and bothered as Dorota entered after knocking for several moments.

"You are late – breakfast is waiting," the maid informed her.

"I'll be down in a minute," Blair snapped. "I just need to... finish something..." her voice trailed as her mind tried to race back to the dream she was rudely awaken from. The dream in which involved her and Chuck enjoying one of their favorite pastimes in the back of his limo.

"Don't forget – God always watching, Miss Blair," Dorota stated as she turned to leave.

Blair sighed as she tried to finish her dream. It was the first day back at school and it had been days since she last got physical with Chuck. No matter what she had tried and how much she begged him, he had been resisting her charm as she refused to be the first to utter those three little words to him. She was starting to run out of ideas and was looking forward to seeking out the advice of Serena and the minions.

* * *

"Wanna get in?" she heard Chuck call out to her as his limo pulled up next to her on the street. "I'd _love_ to give you a ride, Princess..." he grinned.

"Oh I'm sure you would," she smirked back at him as she continued to walk along in the drizzling raining under her umbrella. "Too bad you've made the terms of that arrangement impossible..."

"About that – maybe I was a little too hasty..." Chuck admitted. On the inside he was dying to be near her again. "Come on, get in," he beckoned.

"Maybe I don't want you anymore?" she teased as she stopped to turn and face him.

"Don't torture me – I'm dying," he confessed. "Please?" he requested, giving her his best puppy dog eyes. Fortunately for him, it worked as a moment later she began to approach the vehicle. He soon locked the door though. "All you have to say is those three magic words..."

"Ugh! I hate you!" she stammered.

"Wrong three words, sweetheart," Chuck informed her as he rolled the window back up. He grinned to himself as soon as the car pulled away. He was enjoying torturing her in this way just as much as he knew she was enjoying doing the same to him.

* * *

"You have to help me destroy Chuck Bass!" Blair demanded as she ran over to Serena, interrupting her chat with Dan and forcing her to slide over on the bench she was sitting on.

"And I'll take that as my cue for me to leave," Dan remarked, getting up to leave.

"You're very perceptive," Blair commented to him.

"Dan, wait!" Serena proceeded to stop him from leaving right away. "If you're having a problem with Chuck, perhaps a man's perspective can be helpful."

"Just because you two are making a doomed attempt at trying to be friends doesn't mean I have to be the enabler..." Blair quipped.

"Blair, come on," Serena coaxed her.

Blair let out a reluctant sigh. "Fine."

"Uh, okay..." Dan hesitated to help as he sat back down, opposite the girls. "If you're plotting against Chuck Bass then I'm sure I can help think of something..."

"I have an itch that only Chuck can scratch and he won't oblige unless I tell him I love him," Blair got straight to the point.

"You need help getting Chuck to sleep with you? Really?" Dan questioned.

"You hear the judgment in his voice right now, right?" Blair turned to Serena.

"He's working on that," Serena assured her.

"No, no... you're right – I'm sorry, no judgment - only help," Dan apologized. "So... do you love him?"

"No!" Blair shouted in protest. "Of course not..." she lied. She knew Serena already knew the truth but she refused to admit it to Dan.

"So why not just say it to get what you want? Frat boys have been doing that since... forever," Dan quickly pointed out.

"I can't – if I say it, then Chuck wins," she clarified to him.

"Right, but if you say it, then you get him and you win..."

"No, I lose," she stated before turning to Serena. "See? This is pointless! I was thinking maybe I would just disappear for awhile and give him a taste of life without me."

"No, no, no – that's a terrible idea," Dan interrupted. "Don't disappear – become... unavoidable. Chuck might be a deviant, but he's still a man... you know, just drive him crazy, wear him down... you should be good at that."

Blair contemplated what the Brooklynite had just suggested. "Well... look who just got a little interesting," she remarked.

"I'm sure it's a fluke," he assured her.

"See? Isn't this nice?" Serena asked hopefully.

"Eww... even broken up, you two make me nauseous," Blair retorted as she got up to leave. She needed to think up a way to put Dan's suggestion into action.

* * *

After her last class she quickly rushed outside to where she knew Chuck's limo was waiting for him. Waving at Arthur, his faithful driver, she hoisted herself up onto the hood of the vehicle, seductively applying some lipgloss with a compact mirror as she waited for Chuck to approach.

She didn't have to wait very long.

"Wanna get a drink?" she beckoned him as he came towards her.

"Wanna say those three little words?" he asked right back at her.

"No..." she replied innocently.

"Then no drink," he retorted.

"Why? Scared you won't be able to handle it?" she taunted him as she slowly pulled her skirt up a tad, exposing her thigh to him.

Chuck paused.

_She's good..._ he thought to himself, caught off guard by her new tactic. It was a nice change from all the begging she had been doing since they started this little game.

"One drink," he told her as he reached for her hand and helped her down off the hood of the vehicle. He then got the door for her and followed in after her.

"I'd like to change first, if you don't mind dropping me off at my place? I'll meet you at Gilt?" she suggested as she inched closer to him on the seat.

"Sounds good to me," he responded, looking her in the eyes. He noticed she was giving him her 'fuck me' eyes as she began seductively licking her lips. Before he knew it, he felt her hand sliding up the inner thigh of his pant leg. "Blair..." he warned, gently taking her hand in his and bringing it to his lips for a kiss. "You know the terms..." he reminded her.

She sighed in annoyance. He knew she wasn't going to give up while they were sitting so close to each other in the sacred limo. Much to her displeasure, he moved to the other side of the vehicle and enjoyed watching her concede in her seat in a huff.

* * *

"One drink, Blair," Chuck told her as they were seated at the bar. "Unless of course you can convince me why I should stay..." he grinned at her.

"Well... just because we've reached an impasse on a certain issue doesn't mean we can't be friends..." Blair started.

Chuck stifled a laugh. "Blair, honey... you know we'll always be more than just friends," he pointed out to her.

"Regardless... ever since Charlize Theron became the face of Dior I've wanted to change my signature scent – I've been trying out a new one and can't decide if I like it," she informed him as she moved her hair away from her neck – a spot she knew he couldn't resist. "Would you mind?" she requested.

He hesitated for a moment, again knowing what angle she was playing at, but decided he'd go along as he leaned in to take in her supposed new scent. He lingered for a moment before pulling away.

"Smells a little like desperation," he jabbed.

"Uh... yeah, well... I'll just keep on looking then," Blair responded, caught a bit off guard that her tactic didn't work. "Thank you – you've been very helpful" she told him as she took a sip of her martini.

She paused as another idea came to her.

"To friendship," she decided to toast with him. But rather than take another sip, she poured her drink in his lap. "Oh my!" she pretended to act surprised. "Oops! I am so, so sorry..." she continued as she took a napkin and proceeded to rub at his crotch in an attempt to arouse him. "Let me help you with that..." she grinned at him seductively.

Chuck rolled his eyes in annoyance. This was one tactic of hers that was definitely not working.

He pulled her up by the arm as he stood to his feet.

"I gave you a shot, and while your efforts were... admirable... I'm bored," he informed her. "And you ruined my pants," he added.

Blair sighed in defeat as she plopped back down on the bar stool.

"Goodnight, Blair," he told her as he walked away. She didn't see, but he couldn't help but shake his head and let out a little laugh at her last attempt as he made his way out of the bar. He made a note to bill her for the dry cleaning.

* * *

"Hello?" Dan answered his phone, confused as to why Blair Waldorf would be calling him.

"I just wanted to thank you for encouraging me to throw myself at Chuck – I can skip dinner now that I am so full of humiliation!" she snapped at him over the phone. "While it seemed like it was working at first... Chuck was completely unmoved," she clarified.

"Are you sure he wasn't just acting like it didn't work?" Dan questioned.

"Unfortunately there was no hard evidence of that – literally... I didn't even get the chance to show him my necklace all tangled up in my hair... the nape of the neck is Chuck's kryptonite," she explained.

"Oh, that's...good to know..." Dan stated, wondering why she was telling him this. "So he just left abruptly?"

"Like a Bass out of Hell," she remarked.

"Well then, you just have to trust me – he's headed home, intercept him," Dan told her.

Blair thought about it for a moment. "I'll let you know what happens," she informed him as she abruptly hung up.

* * *

She made her way over to the Van der Bass penthouse, under the guise that she was sleeping over with Serena, in the event that anyone asked. Her real reasoning of course was to seduce Chuck.

_If NE1 asks, I'm spending night ur place  
__-B_

_Okay...  
__-S_

_Need 2 seduce C where he's not expecting it  
__-B_

_TMI  
__-S_

_Do U have NE candles?  
__-B_

_In nightstand drawer  
__-S_

_In UR room now. This will be EZ  
__-B_

* * *

Chuck had stopped for a quick bite to eat after his encounter with Blair at the bar earlier. He had to admit, the girl was stepping up her game. Although in all honesty, he expected nothing less from her – she was one of very few who could play his own games at his level.

As he approached his room, he noticed Serena's door across from his was ajar. Curious, as he knew Serena was out for the night in Brooklyn, he decided to see what was going on.

He was surprised to find Blair standing in Serena's room, lighting candles in nothing but black lingerie and a sheer black teddy.

"What are you doing, Blair?" he wondered out loud, as he slowly entered the room and approached her, completely mesmerized by her presence.

"Serena knew how upset I was..." Blair started, knowing she had his full attention. She began to twist her hair, exposing her neck to him once again. "She didn't want me to be alone so she invited me to sleep over..."

Chuck couldn't take his eyes off her, she was breathtaking. Almost like he was in a trace, he continued to approach her, staring at his favorite spot on her neck.

"Go away, Chuck," she commanded him as she felt the power shifting in her favor. "It's pointless – I'm not going to say it."

"I don't care..." he breathed as he seamlessly undid the tie to the teddy at the back of her neck, letting it drop to the floor. She turned around to finally face him as he took her in his arms and they began to passionately kiss.

Chuck realized he was losing his own game, however at that moment he didn't care. He wanted the relief they both craved and knew that only the other could satisfy.

Just then, they heard Blair's phone buzz as her text notification went off. After the first time, they both silently agreed to ignore it, however when it continued to buzz, Chuck became curious. Blair knew it was most likely Serena returning her last text.

"Ignore it," she told him, pulling him back towards her hungry lips.

But then it went off a third time. Remembering what she had last texted Serena, she realized she needed to beat him to it before he read it.

He had the same thought though, getting suspicious and they both dove across the bed for the phone at the same time.

"Give it!" Blair cried out as his reach was just longer than hers, thus beating her to the phone.

_UR so bad!_

_-S_

He read the reply to her previous sent message about how seducing him would be easy.

"You almost had me Blair – almost," he remarked as he tossed her the phone before he made his way back across the hall, slamming the door behind him. He had been willing to let her win this one so that they would both get what they needed, however her sudden cockiness to Serena had changed his mind. Seems they both would be going without for a while longer...

* * *

"You and Chuck have been toying with each other forever... so you didn't win this one – don't you think you should just let it go?" Dan suggested to Blair as she made herself comfortable in the gallery's cafe as she waited for Serena.

"This is different..." Blair lamented. She couldn't believe she was seeking out the Brooklynite for relationship advice.

"Why?" he demanded to know.

She sighed in frustration, not wanting to admit the truth to him.

"Do you... do you love him?" Dan questioned in surprise as the realization hit him. "Wow... someone actually loves Chuck Bass..."

"I don't know, I just... I don't understand how it got to this place... you know?" she began to confess. "It started out as just sex and then it turned into this secret affair that eventually became public... and then he abandoned me in Tuscany... but then I chose him over Marcus and well... here we are."

"The first time I told Serena I loved her... it was terrifying - I had never felt so exposed," Dan admitted. "...but the feeling I felt when she said it back to me... it was probably thee greatest single moment in my life."

"But you broke up," Blair was quick to point out.

"Yeah, but it doesn't mean I wouldn't do it all over again," he explained.

"If I say it... he wins, and if he wins... then I'll just be another girl to him..." she expressed her fear.

"You don't know if that's true," Dan assured her. "Serena and Nate both seem to think otherwise... and you have to decide what's most important to you – keeping your pride and getting nothing, or... taking a risk and maybe – maybe - having everything."

Blair let it sink in for a moment. While she hated to admit it, the Brooklynite was most likely right.

* * *

Chuck was a bit surprised to receive a text from her later that afternoon.

_You win. Tonight._

_-B_

It was simple but to the point. He felt his heart and the butterflies he always felt for her begin to flutter as he sighed and smiled to himself. She was finally ready to admit to him that she loved him and in turn, he would be ready to finally confess it to her.

_When and where?  
__-C_

_Brooklyn, the Gallery opening S is dragging me 2.  
__-B_

He sighed. Once again, because of Serena, Blair was dragging him out to Brooklyn. He loathed Brooklyn and she knew it.

* * *

"Hey!" Serena greeted Dan as Blair followed along side her. "This is such a huge turn out! Aaron must be thrilled! And your dad..." Serena added.

"Yeah, yeah... it's exciting," Dan replied.

"Dan! So glad I found you!" Amanda, the new girl at school, exclaimed as she slid an arm through Dan's. "Serena... Blair... nice to see you both."

"I see you invited Amanda..." Serena said, a bit surprised to see Dan with a date.

Blair rolled her eyes. She knew Dan and Serena were attempting to be friendly all while trying to see other people, but she also knew Serena was insanely jealous of Dan's latest interest, going so far as to send the minions after her in an attempt to keep Dan from dating. Blair thought the whole thing was stupid though, as clearly Serena had an interest in Aaron while she had to admit, Amanda was a better fit for someone as boring as Dan.

"Yeah... so uh, I thought you were going to be with Chuck tonight?" Dan turned towards Blair, changing the subject as to avoid an awkward situation with his ex and his potential new girlfriend. "What happened?"

"Oh, she is!" Serena pipped up. "But she told him to meet her here as she needed some moral support..."

"Yes... she," Blair said, turning towards Serena, "is freaking out and needs a drink," she stated as all eyes fell on Dan.

"Uh..." he wasn't expecting to play waiter for the evening. "Let me see what I can do about that for her..." he responded as he went to go get a beverage from the cafe.

Blair's phone began to buzz and she quickly went to read her incoming text.

"It's Chuck – he wants to meet me on the roof!" she squealed. She was anxious to get this over with so they could finally move forward in their relationship, if one could call it that.

"The roof?" Serena questioned.

"Well this way, if he doesn't say it back... I can just... jump," Blair thought up off the top of her head. "Then he'll be really sorry."

"Oh no – don't do it B! You don't want your obit to say you died in Brooklyn!" Serena joked.

"Wish me luck, S!"

"Good luck, B – go get him!"

Blair gave Serena a quick hug for good luck before she made her way out of the gallery. She no sooner passed the cafe before Dan caught her attention.

"Hey, wait!" he called to her through the glass of the faux window. "Stay there!"

"Blair, I need to talk to you," he started as he came around the corner to where she was waiting.

"I can't – Chuck's waiting for me..." she explained.

"I know, it's about that actually..." he started. "Just... be careful."

"Why?" she questioned him. "You said earlier to be the opposite of careful... you told me to take a risk!"

"Right... I know, I know... but it was bad advice," he told her. "When I said that, I was thinking of how things were for me and Serena... but this is Chuck – it's not the same thing."

"Yes, it is," Blair protested. "And it's going to be okay..." she tried to tell not just him, but herself.

"Well yeah, maybe... but before you say anything, just make sure he's done playing games," Dan pointed out.

"He is," Blair informed him. "Now if you'll excuse me, Chuck's waiting for me," she said as she turned to leave.

She paused once she was alone in the stairwell.

_What if Humphrey's right? _She wondered to herself._ What if saying it is just the start of a whole new game?_

She knew she wanted Chuck but she was getting tired of all the games they kept putting each other through as of lately. She liked it better when they would team up together rather than against each other.

She realized Dan was right. She needed to make sure he was done with these games for good before she fully committed to taking the next step with him.

* * *

"Brooklyn, really?" Chuck commented as Blair finally approached him on the roof. "You know how much I loathe Brooklyn..."

"At least it will be memorable," she remarked with a smile.

"I'm sorry, but don't you have something you want to say to me?" he questioned her.

"Yes..." she replied shyly, as she began to close the gap of space between them before pausing. Suddenly she got cold feet. "This is so silly... does it matter who says it first? Why don't we just say it together?" she suggested bashfully.

"Because that wasn't the deal..." he reminded her as he took a step towards her.

"Why does everything always have to be a deal?" she wondered.

"Because we made it one," he responded. He could see she was suddenly getting nervous, which was unlike her around him. "What's going on, Blair? You told me you had something to say to me," he pressed her as he grew impatient. "Say it."

"Why do I have to be the one to go first?" she demanded to know. "I was the one who waited on that stupid helipad for you. I went to Tuscany alone!"

"Blair... that's ancient history – I thought we were past that-"

"I was the one who asked you to say it first!"

"At the White Party. When you were on your way out with that hoydy-toydy Brit? Did you really think I was going to say it then?!"

"Yes!" she exclaimed as she struggled to fight back tears. "And when you didn't I wanted to die, Chuck! For your information, I had him take me straight back to the Rhodes Estate where I spent the rest of the night crying... much like I did all summer!"

"Don't tell me you dragged me all the way out to Brooklyn for this!" Chuck snapped. He really had thought they were past all that. "I thought you were ready to tell me how you really felt – obviously it's just another one of your games!"

"My games?" she questioned in disbelief. "Chuck, you were the one who started this one!"

"Yeah... and you just finished it," he hissed as he turned away from her.

She let out a sigh in anger as she stormed off towards the stairs. Clearly they weren't ready for the next step.

* * *

"Serena!" Blair called out to her best friend as soon as she spotted her.

"B... what's wrong? What happened?" Serena asked as she ran over to where Blair was about to have a meltdown.

"It was a disaster, okay?" Blair told her. "I'm leaving..."

"I'll come with you," Serena offered.

"No, it's fine, S – stay. I just need to get out of here right now," Blair said as she turned to leave before anyone could see her cry in public. She was afraid someone would tell Gossip Girl.

* * *

Chuck waited a few minutes to give Blair a head start, in hopes of avoiding her on his way out. After what just happened between them, he wasn't ready to see her again anytime too soon. She had humiliated both of them.

"Chuck!" he heard Humphrey call after him as he quickly made his way down the stairwell. "Hey, wait up! C'mon, don't act like you didn't hear me..."

"I heard you – I was just choosing to ignore you," Chuck informed him.

"Well don't, because what just happened on the roof, with you and Blair..."

"Is none of your business, Humphrey!"

"No, it is actually..." Dan began to confess. "Look, I don't know how you feel about her, but I do know how she feels about you... and she was going to tell you until I stopped her."

Chuck glared up at him from his place on the stairs.

_How dare he meddle in my affairs!_ Chuck screamed in his head. He had decided that this meant war between him and the Brooklynite.

"You need to watch yourself, Humphrey," he hissed as he continued on down the stairs. He could only hope Serena was still around and hadn't left yet with Blair.

* * *

"Chuck!" he heard Serena call towards him as he made his way into the gallery to look for her.

"Serena... just who I was looking for actually..."

"What happened with Blair? She just left a few minutes ago in tears..."

"Your no-class ex is what happened," he informed her. "Apparently he said something to her that freaked her out and ruined everything!"

Serena sighed. "Yeah... I heard from the horse's mouth and already chewed him out about it. I can't believe him – first he has the gall to parade his new love interest in my face and then he has to screw with Blair's head..."

"Wait, hold up, sis – love interest?"

"Yeah, that new girl at school, Amanda... I know you and Blair have both been a little too preoccupied with your own mess to pay attention to mine but while I was attempting to be just friends with Dan, that little bookworm snuck right in under my radar..."

"So we use her, to get back at him," Chuck told her as an idea came to him. "Did any of the minions come?"

"Um... I think I saw Penelope show up soon after Nate arrived..."

"Excellent..." he muttered to himself.

"Chuck... what are you plotting?"

"Just sit back and enjoy the take down," he grinned at her.

* * *

"Penelope..." Chuck said casually as he approached the always eager to please brunette.

"Chuck..." she replied in greeting. "Where's Blair?"

"She left... however there is a small favor I need to request of you..."

"Oh?"

"That new girl, Amanda, who's seeing Serena's ex and making her jealous while Humphrey meddles in mine and Blair's affairs..."

"I know who she is... what do you suggest, Chuck?"

"Ninth grade, the Danish exchange student who kept flirting with your junior prom date... you still remember how to serve up a Nairtini, don't you?"

"I believe I remember the formula..." Penelope replied eagerly.

"I'll be right back with the main ingredient – do this for me and I'll see to it that Blair and Serena let you be Queen for a day," Chuck promised her. "And if that doesn't work, I'll get Nate to take you out on a real date."

* * *

Within minutes of his return with the Nair, everyone heard Amanda shriek from where she was in the room. Penelope was nearly dying of laughter and Chuck couldn't help but grin at the job she had done.

He watched as things unfold, with Amanda yelling at Dan to just leave her alone and Serena rushing in to comfort him, only for him to accuse her of the scheme and cause her to storm off and find her new love interest Aaron.

After he watched Humphrey storm off in humiliation he carefully approached Penelope.

"Nice job – I see you haven't lost your touch," he remarked to her.

"Just make sure you keep up your end of the deal," she snapped at him. He knew Serena had already gotten to her.

"Chuck! Was that your plan? To humiliate that poor girl to get at Dan?" Serena questioned him as she walked towards them.

"Part of the plan – use her, to get to him, for your sake... you'll just have to wait for school tomorrow to witness the next phase," he informed her.

"Well... while I don't agree with your tactics, I appreciate the sentiment," Serena admitted.

"Thanks sis, but if you don't mind... there's a certain other brunette I believe I need to go make amends with," Chuck told her.

He wasn't quite sure what he was going to say to Blair, but he knew he didn't want to lose her completely, especially after knowing that the reason for their downfall this time was because of Humphrey's doing and not just their own egos for once.

* * *

Blair was sitting at her vanity when she heard the door creak open. There was only one person who ever entered her room without bothering to knock.

"Are you here to gloat?" she asked accusingly as she looked over, not surprised to see Chuck standing in the doorway.

"Over what?" he inquired softly as he watched her take off her jewelry.

"Well you won..." she quipped. "Pop the champagne!"

"I didn't win..." he gently told her.

"Then why does it feel like I lost?" she questioned sadly.

Chuck took a step forward before explaining. "The reason we can't say those three words to each other isn't because they aren't true..."

"Then why?" she asked for him to continue.

"I think we both realize that the moment we do... it would be both the start of something and the end," he went on. "Think about it – Chuck and Blair go to the movies... Chuck and Blair hold hands..."

"We don't have to do those things..." Blair informed him. "We can do the things we like."

"What we like... is this," he pointed out to her.

"The game?" she questioned. "But... I'm tired of the games, Chuck... I just want things to be simple..."

"Blair, you know we could never just be simple... and without the games... I'm not sure how long we'd last," Chuck confessed. "I'm afraid it would just be a matter of time before we messed everything up again."

He could see the tears starting to well up in her eyes. He knew she wanted to protest but at the same time she was debating his words in her head. He gently knelt down beside her and wiped away a stray tear that had fallen.

"Blair... don't cry," he tried to comfort her. "Look, I'd rather we wait and maybe in the future..."

"I suppose there could be some excruciating pleasure in that..." she remarked.

He could see the sadness in her eyes and leaned up to kiss her. She gently threw her arms his neck, kissing him in return, not wanting him to leave.

He paused for a moment and rest his forehead against hers as he closed his eyes, trying to fight back the tears in his own eyes..

"Goodnight, beautiful," he whispered as he pulled away, getting up to leave.

"Chuck..." Blair quietly called out to him as she once again struggled to fight back the tears. "Please don't go," she requested. She didn't care about the lack of sex they were currently having, she just wanted him near.

"Are you sure?" he questioned, turning back from the doorway.

She slowly nodded as the tears began to run down her cheeks. "Even if we can't yet say it to each other, it doesn't mean I don't feel it..." she quietly admitted, desperate for him not to go, afraid she might lose him once again.

Chuck hated to see her cry. And he especially hated to see her cry because of him. "Alright," he conceded as he walked back towards her, he understood what she was saying – he could feel it too. And right then all he wanted was to be near her, to have her in his arms. "I'll stay."

She gently led him towards the bed where he climbed in under the duvet behind her after taking his shoes, jacket and bowtie off.

He laid on his back as he felt her snuggle up next to his side, wrapping an arm around her as she nestled into him even more. Knowing it would help calm her down (and in turn calm him down) he put on Breakfast at Tiffany's. As the melody to "Moon River" played on, he felt her breathing relax more and more the longer they lied there with her head on his chest and his fingers gently stroking through her curls. Before he knew it, he was beginning to drift off to sleep as well.

* * *

He woke up the next morning before her and gently snuck out of bed. Apparently he wasn't quiet enough as he no sooner got his shoes on when he heard her begin to stir.

"Chuck?" she questioned as she woke up alone in bed.

"Hey..." he said as he softly leaned down on the bed next to her. He couldn't help but smile, she was completely adorable when she first woke up.

"Where are you going?" she questioned him.

"I've got a few things I need to take care before school this morning," he explained. "Let's just say... Humphrey's going to learn quite the lesson about meddling in other people's affair. Especially people with power," he grinned at her.

"Chuck... what are you talking about?" she inquired as she sat up on the bed.

"You'll see," he grinned as he stood up, leaning forward to give her a kiss. "I'll see you at school."

Blair smiled as she laid back in bed. While they may have called off the battle, she couldn't help but think they had come to a minor mutual victory together when it came the war. She could only imagine what he had in store for the Brooklynite.

* * *

"B!" Serena exclaimed as Blair entered the gates outside school. "I left you several messages – are you okay?"

"Yeah... Chuck actually stopped over last night and we sort of came to an agreement to just leave things how are they are instead of pushing it," she told her.

"That's great... I guess," Serena said, a little confused. "I mean, if you're okay with that and that's what you both want for now."

"It'll do for now... until we're both ready," Blair informed her just as she heard a mass of text notifications going off all over the courtyard.

"There's the signal, girls!" Serena barked at the minions.

"What's going on?" Blair questioned, clearly needing clued in on whatever was happening.

"Just follow me – you'll see," Serena instructed.

She waited in the hallway next to Serena and the girls as she watched everyone scatter away and clear out the moment Dan entered the courtyard.

"Chuck...?" she quietly called to him as he rushed past them in the hallway.

"Just watch," he grinned at her as he hurried along. "Or better yet... Serena, change of plan – Blair's coming with me," he said as he quickly grabbed Blair by the hand, pulling her with him down the hallway and around the corner.

"Watch," he told her as they stood in the doorway around the corner of the courtyard from Serena and the girls. Blair watched as they walked as a pack across the courtyard, snubbing Dan as they went and giving him dirty looks and looks of disgust.

"Serena... hey... uh, what's going on?" Dan attempted to ask her, completely confused as to why the whole school was going out of their way to ignore him.

"Putting you in your place," Serena retorted as she brushed him off, winking at Chuck and Blair as they approached them.

"Annnnd that's our cue," Chuck informed her, taking her arm in his and leading her out to the courtyard.

"Hey, Chuck... Blair... about last night... I see you two worked things out?" Dan inquired as they walked past him.

"I warned you about meddling," Chuck hissed at him. "Now you can know what it's like to be utterly humiliated in front of everyone."

"But I... I..." Dan couldn't find the words for a proper comeback.

"Let this be a lesson – you don't mess with me, or Serena, or Blair and even Nate for that matter, or we _will_ make your life a living hell," Chuck snapped as him and Blair went about their way.

"Thanks," she whispered to him once they were back in the hallway.

"Anything for you, my Queen" Chuck told her as he leaned over and kissed her on the forehead. "Besides, the asshole deserved it for what he did to Serena and the rift he caused between us."

She couldn't help but smile – he definitely knew how to get back at someone who crossed him and those he cared about.

* * *

_AN: Since the next chapter is basically done (and I really enjoyed writing it!) I might post that one within the next few days... but we'll see - I do have a busy weekend coming up at work (it's our yearly mass inventory count weekend!)._

_And as always, thanks so much for all the reviews and favorites/follows - I really do appreciate them all and find it very encouraging - I especially look forward to seeing new reviews pop up =D_


	11. Chapter 11 - Running Down a Dream

_AN: As I said I would try, here's the next chapter, up before the end of the weekend =D_

_This one was actually pretty fun to write and until I rewatched it for reference, I had almost forgotten this episode happened! As you can imagine, the next couple of chapters are going to get a little dark, as Bart's accident and the aftermath of that is coming up (only for Blair's downward spiral arc to almost immediately follow Chuck's), so I guess you could say this chapter is the calm before the (long) storm._

_And once again, I blended and mixed in storylines from other episodes (and made mention to ones that I skipped over, like the visit to Yale, as the canon of that can easily fit into this story's timeline without needed to be rewritten)._

_Enjoy!_

* * *

Everyone knew Chuck was no fan of Dan Humphrey but after a recent turn of events, his dislike of the Boy from Brooklyn had increased ten-fold.

He was a bit surprised (not to mention suspicious) a few weeks ago when Humphrey showed up at the Van der Bass penthouse not looking for Serena but for Chuck himself. Especially after it had just been a few short weeks since the major social take-down Blair, Serena and himself had bestowed on the boy. However, he had fed Chuck some line about wanting to break out of his comfort zone and experience new things - specifically requesting "The Chuck Bass Experience." Blair was busy with fashion week and Serena for Eleanor's upcoming fashion show for the infamous fashion week, not to mention they had been trying to take things slow, leaving Chuck bored and to his own devices for a few days so he decided to indulge the Brooklynite.

Their first night out was innocent enough.

Chuck took him to an exclusive club that only those of status could get into – a big step up from the usual digs they all went to on occasion. Dan was in awe of the service Chuck received just by dropping his name. Chuck had gotten him drunk and high – something he was sure Humphrey had never done before – before kicking him out of the limo just outside Brooklyn (as Chuck would never venture all the way across the bridge without good reason), sans shoes of course.

Which was why he should have known the outsider was working an angle when he showed up at the club to see him the next night, asking Twenty Questions and nearly begging for more.

When Humphrey started asking him about his childhood and his father, Chuck quickly excused himself to go talk up what he thought was a cheap blonde prostitute sitting at the bar – while he would never cheat on Blair, regardless of the current physical sexual state (or lack of one) in their relationship, he figured maybe if he got Humphrey laid the stalker-in-training would leave him alone. To his surprise, though, the woman was just some man's girlfriend wearing an extremely trashy dress.

_If Blair were here, she would definitely have some witty remark about the tacky ensemble_, he remembered thinking to himself.

Just as the woman's boyfriend was about to start something with him, Humphrey had stepped in, knocking the guy out first. Unfortunately though, it landed them both in jail.

While they sat in the holding cell, waiting for bail to be posted, Dan lamented his father finding out while Chuck pointed out that at least his father cared – Bart never did. His biggest regret was Blair finding out and being disappointed, especially after he had gone so long without getting in trouble like this. In a moment of weakness, he admitted all this to the Brooklynite and more – going into detail as to why he believed his father always hated him, his theory being that it was his fault his mother died.

Despite their past differences, Chuck really thought that maybe him and Humphrey had come to some sort of common ground – Nate did speak fondly of the Humphrey's and Serena kept going back to Brooklyn time and time again... maybe there was something he missed in his initial judgment of Dan.

But then when he was told his lawyer had gotten him out and Chuck went to retrieve his belongings from the check out desk, they mistakenly gave him Dan's things instead. One of which was a sheet of notes on a rough draft for a story about "Charlie Trout." Chuck was furious – the Boy from Brooklyn was nothing more than a rat, using him as source material for a story. While he had offered moments before to see if his lawyer could get him out too, Chuck changed his mind and quickly returned to the cell to inform Dan that anything he had confessed was merely a lie and to let him know that he was onto him and his stupid story.

Humphrey had brought using people to a whole new level.

Which is why he was shocked when he walked into his father's office at The Palace a few weeks later to see Bart being all chummy with The Rat.

And offering to take him to a Rangers game Tuesday night.

The exact same Rangers game he had turned Chuck down for earlier that morning over breakfast when he had so eagerly presented his father with the tickets.

"Chuck... what are you doing here?" Bart questioned as his son approached.

"I'm sorry sir – I told him you were in a meeting..." Bart's assistant apologized, rushing in behind Chuck.

"I stopped by to get your schedule cleared Tuesday night for the game," Chuck informed him. "But apparently you already have date," he glared at Humphrey. "What are you doing here?"

"I, uh... I'm recently interested in the construction business," Dan lied. "I... I thought maybe your dad could show me the ropes." Feeling awkward by Chuck's intense, angry stare, he quickly dismissed himself. "But I was just leaving so... yeah... Thank you Mr. Bass."

"Really, father? Dan Humphrey?" Chuck sighed once Dan had left, feeling a bit hurt that his father would rather spend time with a low-life social outsider like him than with his own son.

"Chuck, he's just a friend of Serena's who was looking for a little career guidance..." Bart started.

"Save it, father... I get it," Chuck said, feeling upset and turning to leave.

"Chuck..." Bart called after him, but with very little effort of actually following after him.

Chuck just kept walking til he got to his limo where he poured himself some scotch as he instructed Arthur to take him home. On a whim though, he did pull out his phone and demanded his PI do some tailing on Humphrey. He had a hunch the Brooklyn trash was up to no good.

* * *

Blair was livid. It was bad enough that the little meeting with the influential Yale donor Mrs. Boardman that Serena insisted she tag along on ended up being nothing but humiliating, but to top of it, she was now spending her evening babysitting a pretentious freshman.

"Is my mom gone?" Blair heard the girl call out from her room in the suite.

"Yes..." Blair called in response, not taking her eyes off the copy of InStyle she found lying around. "So, what kind of movies do you like? Something where the animals sing or..." her jaw nearly dropped at the sight of what the young teen had changed into. "Oh sweet heaven!" she gasped.

"So Muffy McDonough has been bragging about how she's going to lose her virginity as she landed a date with the Lacrosse captain – they call him the DE-Virginator!" the girl explained.

"Oh. My. God." Blair exclaimed in horror. "Stop your mouth from moving!"

"But now that I finally have a night away from mom and dad, we'll see who's first – I'm saying TTFN to my you-know-what," she continued.

"Or... maybe we'll see how your mom feels about your little clearance sale number, Lohan," Blair quipped, grabbing the girl by the arm.

"Please... I heard you talking about getting into Yale – Dean Baraby is like my uncle, so help me or I tell him how you took me to a club and got me wasted!" the teen threatened.

Blair was at a loss for words.

_NO ONE challenges me like that!_ She screamed in her head.

Before she could respond though, the girl – Emma she recalled her name being – was already on her way to the door.

"I got a credit card and fake ID, and I want Bacardi and a boy," Emma demanded, opening the door. "This body is open for business," she stated as she walked through it.

Blair quickly took off running after her. This was going to be a long night.

* * *

"Well, you finally did it!" Blair stormed into Serena's room. "You just absolutely made sure that I'll never get into Yale!"

"What are you talking about?" Serena questioned as she flipped through photographs on the bed.

"You know Little Emma?" Blair started. "Turns out she's less "Holly Hobby" and more "Jenna Jameson!""

"Can you speak plainly, B?" Serena asked in annoyance.

"She's determined to become a woman on my watch," Blair explained. "And if I don't help her then she's going to character assassinate me to the Dean!"

"I don't understand – I thought she liked ice cream and magic?" Serena wondered.

"Next time, S, leave the scheming to the experts – meaning Chuck and me!" she instructed. "What... what is all this?" she snapped.

"Pictures from summer camp long ago," Serena gushed. "Aaron dressed up as Cecil the Caterpillar... I bumped into him outside The Palace."

"The guy gave you a ring pop when you were six, S... move on!" Blair rolled her eyes.

"It was licorice and I was eight!" Serena firmly stated.

"Ancient. Unimportant. History!" Blair yelled back. "Focus, Serena – you got me into this and I AM NOT losing Yale because of that little tart's libido!"

"Why don't you just occupy her for awhile? Take her to the charity gala and when you get there just explain you didn't know how lame it would be and when it's time for her to go home, you'll be off the hook," Serena suggested.

Blair mulled it over for a moment but before she could decide if it would work she heard a voice pip up from the doorway.

"So! I just checked Gossip Girl and I'm thinking we hit Socialista before Beatrice!" Emma said, announcing her presence.

Blair shot her a glare before turning back to Serena. "See what I'm dealing with?"

Serena sighed. Seeing the young teen in that dress, she didn't realize just how bad it was until then.

"Emma... I was thinking," Blair turned back towards the teen. "Where is the glory in bedding down with some dirty, Manhattan hipster who's probably filming you on a nanny cam? You really wanna make Muffy jealous?"

The girl eagerly nodded. Blair had piqued her interest.

"Have your flower plucked by one of the elite," Blair informed her.

"And... where would I find someone like that?" Emma questioned curiously.

Blair turned to Serena, smiling.

As if on cue, Serena chimed in. "Luckily, we know the place! But... you're going to have to pay a visit to my closet first." Serena informed her.

Emma squealed in excitement as she ran over and opened Serena's ginormous closet and began rummaging through it.

Blair smiled in relief, mouthing a silent "thank you" to Serena.

_Maybe this evening wouldn't be so bad after all..._ she thought.

* * *

"Well... just what do we have here?" Chuck asked curiously as he entered the main room of the Van der Bass penthouse to see a young little thing in a small pink dress walking across the room from the hallway he shared with Serena. "Allow me to introduce myself," he said, sauntering over to the girl. "I'm Chuck-"

"Bass! Oh my god!" she exclaimed, shaking his hand. "I read about you on Gossip Girl! You're like the devil!"

"Finally – some truth in advertising..." he smirked. "Headed out are we?"

"Serena, Blair and I are going to the Gala," she informed him. "I hope you're coming?"

"Well I'm all for company on a Friday night – especially knowing Blair would be joining – but the only thing I like that aged is my scotch," he told her.

"What?!" she questioned in disbelief. "It's all old people? Blair told me it was all hot guys..."

"Sounds to me like you've been taken for a ride," Chuck snickered, wondering just what Blair was playing at with this poor girl.

"Well... how about you take me for a ride instead?" she boldly came onto him.

Curious as to what she was up to, Chuck decided to play along. He knew Blair would most likely come looking for the girl soon enough anyway. "Looks like you've just hooked a Bass," he remarked as he offered his arm to her, leading her towards the elevator.

* * *

"You look beautiful, Blair," Serena complimented her. "Can we go now?"

"Patience love – the sooner we get there, the sooner the jig is up," Blair reminded her. "I'll go check on our vestal virgin."

Moments later, Blair came running back into the room.

"She's gone!" she yelled.

"Who?" Serena questioned.

"Who do you think! Emma!" Blair cried in frustration.

_Where the hell did she get to so fast? _Blair wondered.

* * *

"Wow! A real limo! This is so perfect!" The girl gushed to Chuck, taking it all in. "By the way, my name is-"

"Let's not ruin it with your talking," Chuck requested. In all honesty, she had done nothing but talk his ear off ever since he agreed to giving her a lift and frankly he was quickly growing tired of her already.

"Fine," she quipped as she boldly inched closer to him. "Let's get to business then."

Chuck began to feel a little uncomfortable. He had plenty of women come onto him before over the years and even though he was unofficially back with Blair, he was still used to having to ward them off much like he had for the past year. However this one was coming on quite strong for someone who was supposed to be under Blair's watch.

"How old are you, anyway?" he questioned her.

"Old enough," she replied as she attempted to kiss him, only for him to turn away so that her kiss landed on his cheek instead.

"Nuh uh-uh," he whispered.

"What? Am I doing something wrong? Is there something specific you'd like for me to do?" she frantically asked him.

"It's not that, dear," Chuck began to explain. "It's just that... I'm technically with someone," he admitted.

"What? You?!" she said in shock. "That's not what I read on Gossip Girl..."

"Well, Gossip Girl doesn't always have all the facts," he informed her.

"This is stupid then and a waste of my time!" she stammered. "Driver! Please stop the car!" she demanded, quickly exiting.

* * *

"Text him!" Blair barked at Serena.

"I texted him six times already – just like with yours, he hasn't responded!" Serena yelled back.

"Well text him again!" she yelled as a mix of emotions came over her – fury, rage, worry... jealousy and even a little bit of hurt. "Before he screws her and ruins any chance I have at getting into Yale!"

"I put out an APB on Gossip Girl with Emma's picture on it – every girl in Manhattan will be on the look out," Serena calmly explained.

Just then they heard the familiar ding of the elevator.

"Chuck!" Serena called out as she saw him round the corner of the hall. Blair stopped pacing around the room and marched right up to him.

"You! What did you do with her?!" she screamed at him, giving him a push in anger.

"Hey to you too," he remarked, giving Blair a playful little push in return. "For your information, she assaulted me – demanded I deflower her..."

"Really Chuck?!" Blair continued to yell at him as she felt a pang of hurt hit her. "Limos and virgins... just your specialty!"

"Just so you know... among the very few things I hold sacred, the back of the limo is strictly ours," he was quick to inform her. He couldn't help but notice Serena squirm at that admittance. "Once she realized I wasn't going to let her ride the stallion she bolted – last I saw her, she was hailing a cab downtown."

Blair let out a quiet sigh of relief, knowing that Chuck hadn't regressed to his old ways.

"Hey, Iz just texted me," Serena chimed in. "She said the bartender at 1 Oak said an E. Boardman just used a credit card there."

"Ugh, she didn't waste anytime – come on!" Blair insisted, grabbing Chuck by the hand and heading towards the elevator.

"I can't go – I have my mom's thing," Serena reminded her.

"What?! No! You're coming – you owe me!" she yelled at Serena as she let go of Chuck and turned to drag Serena off the couch and towards the elevator. "Both of you!" she stated, snapping her fingers on her free hand in Chuck's face to get his attention to follow.

"Fine..." she heard him mutter under his breath.

"Don't sass me, Bass – if it weren't for you, she wouldn't have left the penthouse without me in the first place!" she snapped at him.

* * *

"I don't see her!" Blair called out over the loud music.

"I'll talk to the bartender," Chuck declared as he headed off in the direction of the main bar while Serena and Blair proceeded to maneuver around the crowded room.

"There she is!" Serena exclaimed as they spied Emma chatting up some guy in a booth off in a corner.

"Looks like you got nailed, just not in the way you wanted!" Blair quipped at the teen as she stood to greet them.

"Just give it time – Serg and I were just about to move the party over to his place," she informed them.

"Serg?" Blair asked with a raised eyebrow. "Honestly, how tacky are you?"

"Okay, you guys – let's go," Serena insisted. She was desperate not to be too late to her mother's gala.

"Serena!" a guy called out to her. Blair and Serena both turned to see who it was. Emma took that as her opportunity to make a break for it.

"Wait! No! Out of my way... get back here!" Blair called out as she struggled to chase after her. "Stop her! Emma!" she yelled as she watched her turn and make an exit with whom she could only guess was Serg.

* * *

"Serena, I lost her out front in a crowd of identical couples!" Blair sighed as she found Serena. "Their cab is probably halfway to Serg's by now... if she even waits that long!"

"She's not answering her phone either..." Serena replied sadly.

"Well congratulations, S... for ruining my future! Again!"

"Me?!"

"I'm sorry – who came up with the idea of me babysitting my way into Yale?"

"You wouldn't have had another chance with the Dean if it hadn't been for me!"

"Oh, right... you're such a celebrity! Miss Van der Woodsen – your pillows are being fluffed in the VIP section!" Blair mocked.

"Kitten, please... calm down," Chuck said upon his return as he tried to talk Blair out of making a scene. While he didn't get a chance to witness Blair and Serena's epic cat fight outside the Dean's home at Yale during their recent school visit, he sure heard plenty about it from each of them and knew it was a sore subject still for Blair. "I found her table."

"You're a little behind, Chuck – she already left," Blair informed him.

"I asked the bartender – he said she's over there in the corner booth," he pointed out to the girls.

"E. Boardman?" Blair gasped as they all three slowly began walking towards the table in question. "Elizabeth... that's not Emma- that's her mother."

"And that's... not her father..." Serena noticed.

"Oh my god..." Blair could hardly contain her excitement as she quickly whipped out her phone to snap a photo of the woman all over a man that wasn't her husband.

Chuck smiled. He could see the wheels of blackmail turning in that pretty little head of hers.

"Thank you, God – so much! I won't let you down!" he overheard Blair praying.

He couldn't help but chuckle.

"Hey, Blair..." he attempted to get her attention. "Serena's went to see if maybe the doorman knows our virgin vixen's guy," he informed her.

"Why? Who cares when there's blackmail to be had," she teased him with a smirk as she ran a finger along the lapel of his jacket, knowing he'd always be up for whatever scheme she had in mind. "I've found my golden ticket!"

"Blair! No!" Serena exclaimed as she returned. "That little girl's mother is having an affair – no wonder she's acting out!"

Blair sighed. "Serena! Open your eyes – this is practically a sign from God!"

"That family needs help!"

"Well no argument there – they're even more screwed up than all of ours!"

While Blair and Serena were arguing, Chuck felt his phone vibrate, letting him know he had a missed call and new voicemail. Attempting to block out the noise enough to hear it, his eyes widened in horror at the message left by his PI.

"Chuck? What is it?" Serena stopped arguing with Blair for a moment when she noticed the look on his face. Blair quickly turned to see what was the matter too.

"Sis... you're going to want to hear this..." Chuck informed Serena, passing her the phone to replay the voicemail.

Serena wore a look of confusion as she listened to Andrew Tyler explain that Dan was working an expose about Bart for Vanity Fair and in doing so, he uncovered quite a scandal involving arson.

"Chuck... I don't understand..." Serena told him.

"It could ruin us, Serena - me, my father, you, your mother, Eric... we'll all will be marred by this if that piece of trash reveals it and it gets investigated – which you know it will be."

"Oh my god!" Serena gasped as it clicked in her head.

"Tyler said Brooklyn was last being tailed on his way to the gala," Chuck informed her.

"My mom's texting me now, wondering where I am... Look, Chuck – the guy's name is Serg Gronance, his father plays tennis at your dad's club... I'll stop Dan, you keep Blair on task."

"Go - I recognize the name and can easily get the address," he assured her. "Come on, Blair – let's go."

"I'm going over there," she told him, pointing in the direction of the Yale donor.

"Do whatever you want, Blair, but please – save Emma first," Serena pleaded with her.

"Ugh, fine..." Blair sighed reluctantly. "We'll go save Little Red Riding Hood from the Big Bad Wolf, but after that it's Bulldog, Bulldog – Rah, rah, rah!"

Chuck shook his head in disbelief trying not to bust out laughing as he watched her. She had no idea just how humorously entertaining she was at times. With an annoyed look, Blair playfully smacked him in the arm with her clutch, which only caused him to laugh a little more.

Serena rolled her eyes at them. "I'm trusting you," she warned as she turned to leave.

"Any bright ideas?" Blair turned to Chuck.

"As a matter of fact... I do have one," he confessed as he offered her his arm. She pretended to act disgusted at first, only to surprise him with a grin as she gladly accepted. She was happy things between them seemed to be falling back into place.

Smiling back at her, he led them through the crowd towards his limo waiting outside.

* * *

"Emma, open up!" Blair called as she banged on the door of Serg's apartment. "We know you're in there!"

"Go away!" Emma whispered loudly through the door. "Serg is in the bathroom and when he gets out there's going to be one less virgin around here!"

"You do have to admire her determination..." Chuck stated. Blair glared at him for that remark as it wasn't helping any. "What? You do..."

"I can't let Muffy lose hers before me – she beats me at everything!" the teen whined.

"Tell her to check Gossip Girl," Chuck muttered.

"Emma! Do you have your phone?" Blair quickly asked. "Check Gossip Girl – it's important!"

"Look, I already told you – nothing's going to-" but as Emma looked at her phone, she began to throw a fit. "WHAT?!" she screamed as she swung open the door. "It says "Muffy's Muff Gets Stuffed"! Does that mean..."

"That little Muffy took her first steps as a woman? Afraid so," Blair informed her.

"She lost her virginity AND her Gossip Girl cherry on the same night!?" Emma exclaimed in anger. "But how did she get on Gossip Girl?!"

"It pays to have connections..." Chuck subtly remarked.

"Emma... come here little princess..." they all heard a man's voice call out. Blair pushed past Emma and immediately ran into the apartment to put a stop to all this.

She soon wished she hadn't been so hasty.

"Ack! Oh my god!" Blair screamed in shock. Chuck quickly came to her side, curious as to what she had seen. To their surprise, there was Serg, baring all, with a freshly shaved and fully erect schlong. Chuck couldn't help but laugh at the idiot.

"I feel violated!" Blair declared as she turned and buried her head in Chuck shoulder. He gently rubbed her back trying to ease her sudden discomfort. "I'll be out in the limo," she soon decided as she stormed out of the apartment, pulling Emma with her. "Come on!"

"Piece of advice, lose the tulip," Chuck suggested to Serg before he turned to follow after Blair and the teen.

* * *

"You might be upset, but believe me – this is isn't how you want to lose your virginity," Blair tried to comfort Emma as they pulled up to the Palace.

"Really? Which venue would you suggest?" Chuck inquired, curiously. "Perhaps..." he smirked at her as he subtly patted the leather seat of the limo.

She rolled her eyes at him, refusing to answer that question in front of the young girl.

"Aren't you done?!' Emma cried. "You won! You, Muffy, my mom... I'm the only loser!"

"You still don't get it..." Blair tried to calm her down. "Having sex for the first time shouldn't be part of a competition to beat Muffy the Lacrosstitute! It should be with... with someone you love," Blair told her, forgetting who was in their present company.

For the second time in this conversation that he had initially found boring, Chuck's interest was piqued as he turned to give his full attention.

"Was... was your first time with someone you loved?" Muffy genuinely wondered.

Chuck patiently held his breath as he eagerly waited for Blair's response.

Blair paused for a moment before giving her answer, hesitant at first, knowing he was probably listening. "Yes... it was," she admitted as she turned and looked over at Chuck.

She wasn't expecting him to be staring at her as intently as he was. She gave him a shy smile as she gently reached over and squeezed his knee. She noticed a smile form on his lips as well as he reached down and covered her hand with his own, giving it a gentle squeeze in return.

They both knew it wasn't the three little words they had tortured each other over several weeks earlier, but they both knew the subtle confession would make due until either of them were ready to say them.

"Besides, Emma," Blair said turning back towards her. "There are better ways to get your mother's attention."

"I told you, this is about Muffy-"

"Oh please! I wrote the book on distracted, self-centered mothers – my mom has never met a single one of my teachers. She regularly forgets my birthday and she only comments on my appearance when she has something to criticize," Blair confessed. Chuck hated that she had brought all that up as he knew how much it pained her to talk about it.

"But... you're perfect..." Emma told her. Neither one of them noticed Chuck nodding in agreement.

"True... and that's why I finally realized that it wasn't about me... the same way it's not about you," Blair comforted her.

"My mom always says that when we come to the city that we're going to hang out, do mother-daughter things...it never happens," Emma softly confessed.

"So... tell her that," Blair encouraged her. "And... can you try to avoid the Serg's of the world?"

Emma smiled. "Thanks you guys, and by the way – that guy was pretty gross!"

"Yeah... just a little," Blair agreed. "Come on, let's get you inside," she suggested as Arthur opened the door.

"Wait for me?" Blair paused, turning to Chuck before she got out.

"Always," he smiled at her as he tipped his glass of scotch in favor.

* * *

"Do you realize what time it is?" Emma's mother commented as Blair and Emma entered the suite. "And look at that dress! Do you really expect me to believe you went to the movies in that?!"

"Mom, please don't – this isn't her fault," Emma began to protest.

"Bed, now... Now!" her mother barked at her.

Emma sighed as she gave Blair an apologetic look before heading into her room.

"Mrs. Boardman, look, before you say anything you'll regret-" Blair started.

"What was your plan? Take my daughter clubbing and hope she'd plead your case to the Dean?" Mrs. Boardman quipped. "I have some bad news for you, Miss Waldorf – from what I've seen, you're not Yale material."

"Oh, you haven't seen anything yet," Blair went into blackmail-mode. "Tell me, did you have a nice time with your Brenmhar friend?"

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Here, let me lend you my phone – you'll be needing it to make a call to New Haven..."

"Mom, this isn't Blair's fault!" Emma declared as she emerged from her room once more.

"I told you to go to bed!"

"Blair was only trying to help me!"

"_You're_ lecturing _me_?! No wonder I don't want to spend any time with you! Bed! Right now!"

With that Emma huffed back to her room, slamming the door behind her.

"You were saying?" Mrs. Boardman turned her attention back on Blair.

"Just..." Blair hesitated. The blackmail didn't seem worth it anymore. What she just witnessed hit too close to home. "Your daughter is a great girl... you should pay more attention to her – soon it will be too late." She decided she'd save her blackmail on Mrs. Boardman for later in case it came in handy. She needed to get out of there right away before a flood of memories swept over her mind.

* * *

"So... how'd it go?" Chuck inquired as Blair slumped into the backseat of the limo.

"Her mother was there," Blair simply stated, staring off vacantly.

"Ooh, your opportunity for Blackmail - fill me in on what I missed?" he grinned. He knew she was one of the few that could epically deliver a blackmail threat, he was just sad he had missed it in person.

Instead of answering him though, he noticed her lean forward, with her elbows on her knees as she buried her face in her hands. He immediately grew concerned.

"Blair... What's wrong? What happened?" he pressed for an answer as he quickly but gently shifted from the side seat to the back bench next to her, putting an arm around her, pulling her into him.

"It was horrible, Chuck," she began to sob, turning to bury her head in his chest.

"How is that possible? The blackmail go awry?" he questioned, confused.

"It don't go at all," she sobbed. "Her mother is horrible – the things she said to her... it was almost like an out of body experience, like I was watching my mother berate me for the millionth time."

"Blair..." Chuck sighed. He wanted so desperately to make the pain stop.

"I know, I shouldn't let it get to me... it's not like Eleanor's ever around much these days..." Blair said as she pulled back to wipe the tears from her face. "It's just... seeing it from that perspective... I don't ever want to be like my mother,"

Chuck nodded, he knew how she felt – he didn't want to be like his father. "I know... and you won't," he assured her, kissing her on the top of her chestnut curls.

Blair sighed as he held her in his arms.

"Chuck?"

"Yes, Blair?"

"Thanks... for everything tonight," she told him.

"Anytime, Waldorf," he smiled.

He had wanted to ask her about her confession to Emma just a little bit ago in the limo and hopefully recreate a sacred memory they shared, but as he held her tightly, gently running his fingers through her hair, he decided that perhaps tonight wasn't the right time.

"I meant what I said earlier, by the way," she spoke up. It was almost like she had read his mind.

"Hm?" He wanted to be sure they were talking about the same thing.

"When Emma asked about my first time... I meant what I said," she clarified as she looked up to face him.

"I know," he said as he smiled down at her and softly kissed her on the forehead. "I wish I could say the same thing, however... my first time was quite different than most peoples..." he added.

"Yes, Chuck – I know... your Italian au pair," she rolled her eyes.

Really it was quite disgusting when you thought about it – any normal parent would have called the police when they found out, but Bart instead congratulated him on becoming a man at such a young age.

"You know, I was bit upset and jealous when I thought you had had your way with her earlier tonight... in our... sacred spot," Blair admitted as she looked at him with her big doe eyes.

"Oh yeah? I hadn't noticed," Chuck teased.

She playfully slapped him in the arm again as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "Chuck, just shut up and kiss me already," she demanded as she pulled him towards her.

He was none too eager to oblige her request, passionately returning her kiss as he slowly began to slide a hand up her thigh and under her skirt. She didn't seem to be bothered by it.

"Arthur – why don't you drive around the city for a little bit," Chuck instructed his driver as he turned back towards Blair with a devilish grin on his face.

Aside from one lone night after Blair's birthday party just over a week ago or so when they had decided to make an exception to taking things slow, they had gone without satisfying each others physical needs for far too long – this was long over due, Chuck decided.

* * *

The next morning, Blair woke up in Chuck's bed at the Van der Bass penthouse to find herself completely alone with no sign of him anywhere. Curious, she checked her messages.

_Sorry u had 2 wake up alone. Needed 2 see Nate this morning – BBL! XOXO _

_-C_

She smiled to herself as she got up to go climb in bed with Serena across the hall. Things appeared to have resumed between her and Chuck.

* * *

"Figured you'd be back at the family manor," Chuck stated as he walked in on Nate packing. He glanced around at the room, noticing it nearly empty. "What is this? The new minimalism?" He questioned in surprise.

Nate continued to pack without answering.

"What the hell is going on?" Chuck wondered, his voice full of concern.

"What do you think? I told you we were in trouble..." Nate quipped.

"I didn't think it was this bad..." Chuck confessed. "Then again if it drove you to Brooklyn I guess I should have known..."

"Brooklyn's over," Nate interrupted. "I'm going to stay with my mom for the holidays."

"Don't be so dramatic, you're coming with me – you can either stay in my suite or crash at the penthouse with Serena and me," Chuck declared.

"No, I'm not," Nate argued as he hoisted his duffel bag over his arm and proceeded on his way.

_What's gotten into him?_ Chuck wondered.

* * *

"B... it's time to get up – there are other schools besides Yale... like Princeton!" Serena coaxed her awake with talk and tea.

"Princeton is a trade school!" Blair pointed out, pushing away the tea. "There is only Yale!"

"Well, regardless... I am proud of you for not succumbing to your basic instincts – Hey! Even though you might not get into Yale, this will make sure you won't go to hell!" Serena attempted to joke.

"Ha, ha, S..." Blair said sarcastically, clearly unamused.

Just then her phone rang.

"Hello – Blair Waldorf's phone," Serena answered it. "Why yes, Dean Baraby – she's right here actually..." Serena said as she handed off the phone to Blair.

"What?! No..." Blair argued as she tried to push the phone away. It ended up in her face anyway. "Dean Baraby..." she greeted him. "What a surprise... yes... uh huh..."

* * *

"Omg! S!" Blair came running out in the main room. "You'll never believe it – apparently Emma told the Dean that I am the one person she would most like to have dinner with!" she squealed in excitement.

"Oh my god, B! That's great!"

"And he said that Yale needs someone just like Blair Waldorf," she gushed.

"Oh, B! I'm so happy for you!" Serena cried as she gave her best friend a hug!

"I can't wait to tell Chuck!" Blair remarked.

"Speaking of which... you two snuck in kind of late last night... and obviously you spent the night... does this mean...?"

"Yes, S... I'm afraid so," Blair grinned as she confirmed to Serena that her and Chuck were in fact officially back together and finally gave into their physical urges.

"Oh thank God!" Serena exclaimed. "Chuck was so tightly wound he was starting to get on everyone's nerves around here!"

"Well, that shouldn't be an issue anymore," Blair smirked.

"Eww, B..." Serena grimaced. "Hey, I got an idea – since Yale is also back on for you, let's spend the afternoon looking through the course catalog!"

* * *

"Chuck! You'll never guess what happened!" Blair exclaimed as she burst into his room moments after she heard him return and close the door across the hall.

"What's that?" he wondered as he moved over from where he was lounging in thought on the bed, leaving space for her to sit down next to him. She quickly began to fill him in on her phone call earlier with Dean Baraby when they heard a knock on the door.

"Yes?" Chuck called, curious as to who it could be since Blair was already there.

"Can I come in?" Bart asked as he opened the door to address Chuck.

"I can't stop you..." Chuck sighed in response, looking over to Blair quizzically. What his father could possibly want with him right then was beyond him.

"Blair... nice to see you again," Bart acknowledged her presence. "If you don't mind, may I please have word with my son? I believe Serena's still in her room..."

"Of course," Blair obliged, giving Chuck a quick kiss as she scooted herself off the bed. "Pleasure seeing you again, Mr. Bass," she turned to Bart as she walked past him.

"Bart, dear," he corrected her. He figured as close as she was with Serena and how close he was aware she was growing with Chuck, they could do without the formalities. Especially since Bart suspected she might just become family someday.

"Bart," she nodded in agreement.

He closed the door behind her before he continued.

"Seems you two have made amends since the events that transpired just before summer..." Bart attempted to show interest in his son's life.

"It would seem so..." Chuck remarked as he tried to distract himself with the book he had been reading before Blair joined him.

"That's good," Bart continued, only to sigh as he noticed Chuck trying to ignore him. "Look, son... I came to apologize," he admitted.

That got Chuck's attention.

"Apologize?" Chuck questioned in surprise. His father never apologized for anything. And least of all to him.

"I never – never – blamed you for your mother's death," Bart began. "I read that short story that your friend, Dan Humphrey, wrote about you and your mother... I had no idea you felt that way... It's my fault," he confessed as he made his way across the room, sitting down on the edge of the bed. "I know I've had trouble being close to you, but it's not for the reasons you think..." he then noticed a picture frame on Chuck's dresser that contained a photo of his deceased wife. He didn't realize Chuck had kept a photo of her. Bart briefly recalled the day that particular photo was taken – it was outside The Palace, in the courtyard, just before the first annual Bass Industries charity gala nearly twenty years ago. They had just recently learned she was pregnant with Chuck. "Every time I look at you, I see her..."

"You miss her..." Chuck commented, noticing his father was lost in the picture.

"You have no idea," Bart admitted. "I've made some terrible mistakes in my life... but I don't want to make another – I want to know my son..."

The confession completely caught Chuck off guard. He never in a million years would have thought he'd be having this conversation with his father. And at his father's request no less.

"So... any interest in going to that hockey game?" Bart questioned, hoping the offer was still open.

"I, uh... I suppose I could clear my calendar," Chuck replied, fighting back a bit of shock.

"Sounds good, son, I look forward to it," Bart smiled as he went to stand up. "We'll talk more then... I actually need to head into the office for a bit this afternoon – the investors called an emergency meeting for this last minute business acquisition that we're trying to finalize, but I should be home in time for dinner... tell Blair she's welcome to join us."

"Will do, father," Chuck assured him as he watched him leave the room.

He smiled. He couldn't believe his father was finally making an effort to spend some time with him. Maybe Humphrey wasn't so terrible after all... however that didn't mean Chuck still had to like him.

* * *

_AN: And there we have it - the calm before the storm! Next chapter is the Snowflake Ball and Bart's accident with a glimpse of the beginning of Chuck's downward spiral._

_And again, as always - thanks for all the reviews/comments and follows/favorites! I know I say it every chapter, but I really do appreciate it and look forward to reading the reviews!_


	12. Chapter 12 -All Good Things Come to End

_AN: Can you believe it? Another update in a matter of days! Truth was, this one was done and I figured why wait and not just go ahead and post it for you all!_

_Fair warning though: the end of this chapter is the beginning of the rough patch. Get the Kleenex ready (I'm talking to you - Chairytale944! =D ) - we're in for a rough, bumpy few chapters!_

* * *

"So, how does it feel to finally have a real, committed relationship with someone?" Bart asked as he took a sip of his drink while he watched the crowd below cheered on the hockey team.

While they had started out in the back row seating Chuck had gotten for them to relive Bart's childhood days, they both felt a bit out of place among the crowd and mutually decided to move upstairs to the box Bart had on reserve for the season.

Chuck nodded as he took a sip of his scotch. "It's... it's kind of nice, actually," he admitted. While things between Blair and him were a bit complicated and nothing was really official, honestly, they were both fully committed to each other – like he often told her, they were inevitable.

"I have to say, I'm quite relieved you finally seem to have found someone worthwhile to spend your time with," Bart remarked. "I know having a different girl in bed every night with no strings attached can be quite appealing, but believe me son, it gets old eventually... and lonely... something I would hope you wouldn't you have to go through as long as I did..." his voice trailed off as he thought about the loss of Chuck's mother.

"You still love her?" Chuck inquired as he knew where his father's mind had wandered.

"Yes..." Bart nodded in response. "Don't get me wrong – I love Lily very much... despite our current marital mess," he stated, referring to how upset Lily was when she recently learned that he had kept dossiers on her and the kids. "However... there is no getting over your first great love, no matter how much you try to move on."

Chuck let his father's words sink in for a moment, staring off at the game, as he realized that that was what Blair was to him. His first great love. It only made sense – no matter what happened between them, he could never seem to get over her regardless of how much he tried.

Bart noticed his son deep in thought.

"Have you told her?" Bart inquired.

Chuck snapped his head up to look over at his father. "Told who what?"

"Blair... have you told her you love?" Bart clarified.

"No, not yet..." Chuck admitted, regretfully.

"Why not? It's quite obvious you do, son."

"I... I don't know... I guess I'm just a little scared... like you said after the wedding, everything will change..." Chuck's voice trailed off.

"For the better though, son," Bart assured him. "Do you know why your mother and I got married so young?"

"Why is that?" Chuck wondered. His father hardly spoke to him at all about his mother, aside from the occasional yearly drunken ramble on what would have been their wedding anniversary when Chuck was unfortunate enough to bump into his father on those nights.

"Because we both realized that life can be short and often cruel – life makes no guarantees that tomorrow will be there," Bart took another sip of his drink. "And while your mother and I might have only had a few years together before... well, before you know..." he had trouble saying the words. "I'm grateful for every day I had with her and have never regretted my decision to risk everything to be with her... in fact, it was because of her I became the success I was so early on as she stood by me at every step."

Chuck just stared at his father, shocked by his confession.

"Son," Bart continued. "If you know, don't wait – tomorrow is not guaranteed and you don't want to regret not getting another chance."

He thought about what his father was saying.

"While I may not have been the most involved parent, I do have to say, she does seem to bring out the best in you - do you think she may be the one?" Bart bluntly asked.

"I... I can't say I've given it too much thought, as we're still in high school, but..." Chuck hesitated for a moment before he confessed. "Yeah, maybe..." While he hadn't really thought much about the far off future, the truth was, he couldn't see his life without her in it.

"Well, if that's so... if and when the time comes, she's got my approval," Bart smiled as he went to take another sip of his drink.

Before Chuck could respond, the crowd began to get quite rowdy as a fight broke out on the ice. They both quickly stood to get a better view of the action.

The rest of the conversation throughout the evening wasn't nearly as deep as they casually discussed business opportunities and Chuck's plans for himself after high school.

* * *

"Blair, what are you doing?" Serena wondered in annoyance as Blair was going over a checklist of guys.

"Serena – this is _the_ holiday high school event for seniors!" Blair reminded her over lunch in the courtyard. "The creme-de-la-creme from all the big private schools will be there... the pictures dominate the society pages of the newspaper..."

"Why aren't you just going with Chuck? I thought you two were back together..."

"Not officially, S... and besides, he hasn't asked me yet so I'm just keeping my options open," Blair sighed as Serena rolled her eyes.

"Ladies... what's going on?" Chuck curiously asked as he sauntered over to their table.

"Blair's going over a list of back-up dates who have already asked her to the Snowflake Ball since apparently you haven't yet," Serena informed him with an annoyed look as she took a bite of her yogurt. As much as she tried, she would never understand why they tortured themselves with this twisted version of a relationship.

Chuck rolled his eyes as he let out a little laugh. He had every intention of taking her and she knew it, yet he found it amusing she already had several pages of back-up dates just in case.

"Just out of curiosity, who's in the lead to play Guy With No Future?" he wondered as he sat down next to Blair.

"What makes you think I'm not looking for something long-term?" she teased him.

"Call it a hunch," he smirked at her.

"Keith Nelson," Blair named off.

"Are you kidding?" Chuck began questioning her sanity. "Have you ever seen the guy without gum? The oral fixation alone would drive you nuts."

"Andy Clark," Blair listed as she crossed off Keith.

"He outscored your verbal on the SAT," Chuck reminded her.

"I like an intelligent man," she quipped at him. "He could whisper maleficent nothings into my ear..."

"You only think you like an intelligent man – the moment he begins to give you a history lesson on the word maleficent we both know you'll rip out his sweetly flowing tongue."

Blair looked to Serena for support who merely shrugged.

"Okay..." she muttered as she crossed Andy's name off the list.

Serena noticed Dan across the yard and decided to make her exit. "Hey, I... need to get going, I'll catch you both later," she said as she got up to leave.

"So... who's next?" Chuck asked as he leaned over to take a look at her list.

While he knew her whole intention with this ridiculous list was to make him jealous, secretly he was enjoying this little game as he knew there was no way she would actually go with any of them – he knew there was something about each of them that would irritate her to no end.

* * *

Blair walked into her penthouse after school to the sound of the piano being played quite beautifully. She wasn't expecting her father from France and there was only one other person who frequented her home enough that knew how to play it.

She smiled as she quietly rounded the corner and her suspicion was confirmed. She stood there for a moment, listening to him play.

"Chuck..." she called softly to him when he had finished. "What are you doing here?"

"A crazy little idea occurred to me this afternoon," he started as he got up from the piano to approach her. "I should choose your date."

"Oh, really?" she raised an eyebrow as she looked at him questioningly, wondering where he was going with this. "Why?"

"Why not? Just, hear me out," he urged. "It'll be a little game – to prove that I know you better than anyone else," he grinned.

She mulled it over for a moment. While she had hoped he would just get it over with and ask her already, she admitted, seeing what he came up with could be fun. Besides, she knew they'd just end up together by the end of the night anyway. "Fine... but under one condition."

"What's that?"

"I get to choose your date."

"I bring one for you, you bring one for me..." Chuck nodded in approval. "We'll see who knows who best," he grinned.

"But... there has to be something to make sure you come through... and to keep things interesting," she added.

"Name the stakes," he told her.

"If you actually like your date, then I get the limo for a month."

"Fine... but if you like yours, I get Dorota."

"What? Dorota?!" Blair asked in surprise. She was expecting him to name something more sexual.

"Yes, Miss Blair?" the maid eagerly approached as she walked past the sitting room.

Blair shot her look to back off. "Fine..." she told Chuck.

"See you there Saturday," he smiled as he leaned in to give her a soft kiss before he left to get started. "By the way, I take my breakfast in bed," he informed Blair's faithful maid with a smirk as he passed her. She looked genuinely horrified.

* * *

"Chuck is in for the shock of his life!" Blair exclaimed to Serena as she searched through her closet for the perfect pair of shoes to match her dress for the ball. "I know every inch of his wafer-thin soul... S, what do you think?"

Serena looked up from polishing her nails to confirm if Blair was asking about her opinion on this latest game she was playing with Chuck or if she was inquiring about something else.

"You're right, Louis Vuitton peep-toes it is... as always," Blair declared before Serena could give her an answer.

"Blair, I don't get why two aren't just going together..."

"Of course you don't Serena... I know to some it might be strange, but these harmless little games are how Chuck and I keep things interesting," Blair explained. "Besides, you know we'll just end up together at the end of the night. Like Chuck's always saying, we're inevitable."

"Yeah, well... let me just say, that no matter how much you think you won't mind, seeing someone you really care about with someone else... it sucks," Serena declared.

"I assume you're talking about your lame double date last night with Hum-Drum Humphrey?" Blair questioned. "What happened?"

"Uh, nothing... it was great... right up until Dan asked Lexi to go to the Snowflake Ball with him..."

"So they're going to the dance?"

"Yeah and then I find out that she tends to extend herself to guys on the first date!" Serena cried out.

"So?"

"So, we're friends! Shouldn't I like... give him a heads up or something?"

"Yeah, absolutely – guys just hate to be caught off guard with sex on the first date," Blair replied sarcastically as she rolled her eyes.

"You're right... I should just not think about it."

"Exactly, just like I'm sure Dan doesn't think about you and Aaron being all horizontal and sweaty," Blair grinned. But then she noticed how quiet Serena got. "Wait... you guys have slept together, haven't you?" Serena still didn't answer. "Why not?! You actually like him and I'll admit, while he's not nearly as handsome as Chuck... he's not terrible looking... you don't seem to find that very often in a guy."

"Which is why I haven't rushed into anything yet," Serena finally confessed.

"If you want to wait, fine, but in the meantime, Dan is going to be taking a ride on the Lexi-coaster. Just think about it – why should you think about him when he's not going to be thinking about you?" Blair pointed out.

Serena sighed. Blair had a point.

* * *

"Are you Chuck Bass?" a cute little strawberry-blonde strode up to him as he waited just off the dance floor, wondering where Blair was with his supposed date.

"Are you Blair's girl?" he questioned, looking her up and down. "Not bad... I hear the roof has a spectacular view of the city..."

"Oh really?" she flirted with him just as Blair came storming over, squeezing herself into between them.

"Excuse me! He's taken – shoo!" she declared. Chuck quietly laughed to himself, he loved how easily jealous she got when other girls came onto him. Which made him wonder how she was going to manage the whole evening with the date she was supposed to provide for him.

"You look quite lovely tonight," he complimented her as he looked her over, reaching to gently touch the necklace she was wearing. It didn't take long for him to notice that she was wearing the Erickson Beamon necklace he gave her for her birthday last year.

"Not as lovely as I'll look in my limo..." she flirted. "So... where's my Prince Uncharming?"

"Sandbox rules, sweetheart – I'll show you mine, if you show me yours," he smirked.

"Fine, she's right over there," Blair said as she motioned for his date to come join them. "Justine, this is Chuck Bass," she introduced them as the girl quickly came over.

"Very nice to meet you," Chuck tried to hide his amusement. While the girl was attractive, to him she wasn't as attractive as Blair. However she could pass as a slightly less attractive version of Blair, complete with headband.

He shook his head at Blair as he motioned for her date to come over.

Blair let out a laugh as the guy joined them. "You can't be serious!" He looked like a lankier version of Chuck, complete with bowtie and scarf. "Chuck... I need to talk to you..." she said as she took hold of him by the sleeve of his jacket. "Excuse us," she told their dates.

Chuck was grinning the whole time she pulled him away. Clearly they had the same idea of just finding clones of themselves.

"Really, Chuck?" Blair reprimanded him once they were out of sight from their dates. "Is this some kind of joke? He's like a younger version of you!"

"What?! You obviously had the exact same idea," he laughed. "I'm sure from behind I could easily mistake Justine for you – I wouldn't be surprised if you had lent her the headband! Did you?"

Blair playfully smacked him in the arm as she tried not to smile. "Great minds think alike," she quipped.

"That they do," he smiled. "But seriously though, I have to know – is she really wearing your diamond headband?" he tried not to laugh again.

Blair bit her lip, refusing to give him the satisfaction her answer would give. "Come on, Bass... let's go find them."

"It is, isn't it!" he declared.

"Shut up, Chuck," she ordered as she led him back around to the dance floor.

Their clones were nowhere to be found.

* * *

"Where are they?" Blair wondered as they made yet another lap around the hall. "She can't leave with my headband!"

"Relax, they've got to be around here somewhere..." he assured her.

"This has got to be one of the strangest out of body experiences ever..." Blair stated as they turned a corner and finally found their dates, invested in a heavy makeout session together. "Hey!" Blair barked at them as her and Chuck approached. "Explain this!"

"After you and Chuck walked off... Justine and I got to talking," Chuck's clone began.

"He took me up to the roof and we looked out over the city," Justine gushed. Blair rolled her eyes, he really was Chuck 2.0.

"Of course he did," Chuck couldn't help but quietly laugh. He had taught the kid well.

"We just knew that we were meant for each other," his clone continued.

"But she's me – only less! That is my headband after all..." Blair pointed out.

"We're just as surprised as you are," he admitted before turning back to kiss Blair 2.0.

"Ugh, even our doppelgangers make it so simple! Why can't we?" Blair sighed in frustration, turning towards Chuck.

When he didn't respond she started to walk away, annoyed.

"Blair, wait..." he called after her.

* * *

While he lost sight of where she had gone off to, he did happen across Lily who seemed to be having quite an intimate conversation with none other than her ex-flame Rufus Humphrey.

Remembering what his father had said to him at the hockey game the week before about never really getting over your first great love, he was well aware that that was what Rufus was to Lily. And right now, given the recent drama in their marriage, he could see that his father was slowly beginning to lose her to him.

He did the only thing he could think of at that moment – he pulled out his phone and dialed his dad.

"This really isn't a good time, Chuck," Bart said as he answered the phone.

"She's here," he told him.

"What are you talking about?" Bart questioned.

"Lily, she's here, at the ball, with Rufus Humphrey," Chuck clarified to his father. "And from what I'm seeing, you need to figure something out and get down here right now."

Without saying anything, his father hung up. Chuck could only hope his father wasn't too late – out of all the women he had brought in and out of his life, Chuck actually kind of liked having Lily as a stepmother.

He decided to address the situation, in hopes of stalling whatever was beginning to transpire between Lily and Rufus.

"Charles..." Lily greeted him as he approached her and Rufus.

"You've been good for him – good for us," Chuck began to tell her. "Regardless of how I may have acted, I actually kind of liked you... I just thought you should know, I called him – he's on his way here."

Lily nodded in understanding.

"You owe him a conversation at the very least," Chuck finished.

Before Lily could say anything more he left to go find Blair, as he had just spotted her alone and looking lonely on another balcony overlooking the dance floor. Frankly, he didn't care to hear anything Lily could have to say.

* * *

He slowly approached her from behind so as not to startle her as she was clearly deep in thought. Without hesitating, he slid his arms around her waist and gently kissed her cheek.

"Dance with me," he whispered in her ear.

"What's the point, Chuck?" she sighed. "We're never going to be them... simple, carefree..."

"And why would we want to be? I wouldn't change us... not when what we have is... so... much... more," he told her as he held her tightly and placed chaste kisses on her bare shoulder.

"And what's that, Chuck? What exactly is it that we have? You tell me." she demanded to know, turning around to face him.

"Tonight," he simply replied, taking her hand in his. "So shut up, Blair, and dance with me."

As he led her down the stairs to the dance floor, her sad frown quickly turned into a smile. He was right - what they had, while it might seem a bit odd and twisted to almost everyone else, it was ultimately perfect for the two of them. And neither of them wanted to be to anywhere else at that moment except on that dance floor, in each others arms.

* * *

As they danced the night away, with Blair's head resting on his shoulder, Chuck once again recalled the conversation with his father at the hockey game, about how life was cruel, that tomorrow wasn't guaranteed and how if he knew how he felt then why wait any longer to tell her.

Chuck took a deep breath, his father was right.

And he was finally ready.

Hopefully she was too.

"Blair..." Chuck said softly to get her attention.

"Yes, Chuck?" she responded without lifting her head. She was perfectly content at that moment.

"Look at me, there's... there's something I need to tell you," he told her.

Blair lifted her head and locked her brown eyes with his. "What is it, Chuck?"

"Blair..." he started as he began to lose himself in her eyes. "I... I-"

"Charles! Thank God, I found you!" Lily suddenly interrupted him.

Chuck let out a sigh in frustration. He had been so close, he knew Blair knew it too. But just then he noticed the look of panic on Lily's face as Serena came rushing up behind her with her coat.

"Lily, what's wrong?" he questioned as he turned to face her. He began to get a sense that what she was about to tell him was not good.

"It's your father... he's... he's been in accident," Lily informed him as she tried to fight back tears. "They're... they're not sure if he's going to make it – we need to get to the hospital right away."

Blair let out a horrified gasp while Chuck wore a look of utter shock.

"Go - I'll be right there," he urged Lily and Serena as he tried to collect his thoughts.

"Chuck..." Blair gently called to him as she noticed him spacing out. She could only imagine what was going through his mind at that moment. "Chuck!" she got his attention that time.

"What?" he asked, shaking his head as he came out of his daze.

"Call the limo around, I'll go get our coats and meet you out front," she told him.

Chuck simply nodded as he knew there was no sense in arguing with her. She'd be coming regardless whether he asked her to or not. He pulled out his phone to call Arthur but his fingers began trembling so bad he couldn't seem to press the number.

Blair let out an exasperated sigh as she took the phone from him and made the call for them. "Arthur? There's been a situation – can you please pull the car around immediately? Chuck and I will be out front in just a moment," she instructed before she hung up and handed the phone back to Chuck. "Come on," she turned to him, linking his arm in hers as she walked them to the coat check to retrieve their coats.

As Arthur drove them to the hospital, she sat next to Chuck in the limo, holding his hand tightly. He had been silent for far too long. She began to worry as she was afraid he was beginning to fall to pieces from the inside out. She could only hope that she would be strong enough for the both of them to get through this and still come out intact.

* * *

"What do you mean I can't come with?!" Blair shrieked at the nurse manning the desk in the ER waiting room.

"I'm sorry ma'am, but only family members beyond this point – he can come," she pointed at Chuck, "However you cannot."

"But he's Chuck Bass, for crying out loud!" Blair screamed. Throwing his name around almost always did the trick when it came to getting special privileges. Almost.

"I'm sorry ma'am, but that's just policy."

Blair sighed in frustration as she pulled out her phone to call Serena.

"S, we're out in the waiting room but they're telling me I can't come in with him," she quipped.

"I know, B, I know... and mom and I are so sorry but because of who Bart is, they're being extra tight with security and refusing to budge – as it is, mom had to argue to get Eric and I back here as we were never legally adopted as his step-children..." Serena explained.

Blair sighed again as she snapped her phone shut.

"Fine," Blair stated to the nurse behind the desk before she turned to Chuck. He was still wearing the same vacant expression he had on when they left the dance.

"Chuck... you need to go see your father. They won't let me go back with you, but I'll be right out here, okay?" she told him as she held him by the shoulders. "Lily and Serena and Eric are all back there, waiting for you and I'll be right out here. You need to go see him. Now."

Chuck glanced over at her, nodding in acknowledgment. She slowly led him to the door as the nurse buzzed him in.

"Down the hall, make a right, third room on the right. If you get lost, just stop at the main desk back there and ask," the nurse instructed.

"I'll be right out here," Blair called after him as she watched him slowly proceed down the hall.

She tried to make herself comfortable in the waiting room once the doors closed behind him, being sure to keep her distance from any of the ill that were waiting around.

* * *

"What are you doing out here?" Serena questioned as she ran into Chuck out in the hallway. "Come on," she beckoned. He picked up the pace slightly and followed her into the room the nurse had instructed him to.

A million thoughts raced through his mind as he entered to see all the machines his father was hooked up to. He didn't know what to make of the scene.

He overheard the doctor apologize to Lily as his father laid there motionless.

Lily heard his footsteps and turned to approach him. "Charles... the doctors say there's nothing we can do," she said between tears as she gently stroked his arm. "We have to let him go..."

He was speechless for a moment as his eyes darted around the room, to his father, to her, to his surroundings.

"No..." he whispered under his breath as he began to back away, breathing heavily. He was just finally getting to have the relationship with his father that he had always wanted and it was suddenly being taken away from him. "No..."

His father was right, life was cruel.

"Chuck..." Serena cried to him as he walked past her on his way out. "Chuck, please! Stay with us..." she pleaded.

But he couldn't.

He stumbled out in the hallway as he tried to find his way back outside. The amount of emotions he was feeling at that moment were overwhelming. Almost suffocating. He needed to get out of there. He needed to be alone.

* * *

"Chuck?" he heard Blair call out to him as he kept walking, through the waiting room, straight out into the limo.

"To The Palace," he managed to order to his driver as he stumbled inside, closing the door behind.

"Sir?" Arthur questioned, as he noticed Blair rushing out of the hospital in pursuit.

"Just go," Chuck barked. "Now!"

He knew she wanted to be there for him, but right now, he really just wanted to be alone. And maybe with a bottle of scotch.

"Chuck!" Blair yelled as she stopped running and watched his limo drive off.

_What the hell was that about?!_ She wondered to herself.

Pulling out her phone as she went back inside she ran right into Erik.

"Blair, where's Chuck?" he asked her frantically.

"He just got in his limo and took off..." she replied. "What happened?! He didn't say anything, he just kept walking right past me..."

"Bart's dying, there's nothing we can do other than say our goodbyes... mom told him that and he panicked," Erik explained.

"Oh my god!" Blair gasped as she put a hand to her mouth. "Erik, I'm so sorry!"

_No wonder Chuck left. His emotions must be all over the place right now!_

"I'll go find him," she stated.

"Thanks Blair, but unless you can find him in the next thirty minutes and are able to get back here that fast, it'll be too late - they don't think they'll be able to keep him stabilized much longer."

She understood, he had missed his chance. "I still have to check on him," she informed the younger Van der Woodsen.

Erik nodded.

"Give Serena and Lily my condolences, okay Erik?"

"Will do – you just find Chuck and make sure he's okay."

It was her turn to nod.

She quickly turned and made her way outside, hailing the first cab she could find. She had a pretty good idea where Chuck had run off to. "The Palace hotel, please," Blair ordered the cabbie. "And I'll give you an extra $50 if you can stay out of traffic." The sooner she got there, the better.

* * *

"Chuck! I know you're in there!" Blair shouted as she banged on the door to 1812. "The concierge downstairs confirmed you're here, now let me in!"

There was no answer.

"Chuck! I mean it! Let me in!" she continued.

"Go away, Blair!" she finally heard him respond through the closed door. "I just want to be alone!" he shouted back.

"What you want and what you need are the exact opposite," she told him. "Please Chuck, don't shut me out!"

"I just... I just need some time alone, Blair! To sort things out in my head," he replied.

"Well you can sort them out with me next to you! Let me in!" she protested from out in the hallway.

"Blair... please! Just... please... give me some time..." he quietly began to sob as he slid down the length of the door to the floor.

He honestly didn't know what he was doing. He knew all she wanted was just to be there for him and he knew she probably could distract him better than anything else he could come up with on his own, and while part of him wanted to open the door and collapse into her arms, the other part of him really didn't want her to witness him as a broken mess.

She gently put a hand to the door as she heard his cries just on the other side. It broke her heart. She just wanted to hold him tight, tell him that everything was going to be alright. That they would get through this.

"Okay, Chuck," she sighed. "Okay... I'll go for now, but I'll be back to check on you in the morning," she assured him.

He didn't respond but she knew he had heard her.

She didn't know what to think – one moment she was sure he was about to finally tell her that he loved her, and then the next, he's completely pushing her away. She could only hope that this wasn't the beginning of her losing him completely.

* * *

_AN: Annnnnd cue the tears!_

_Yes, I ended it on a sad note, but honestly, it's Chuck and it's still early enough on that he doesn't know how to really deal with his feelings so it's only natural for him to push people away still._

_Good news is, the next chapter is written - it just needs editing. _

_And even better news - the next few chapters after that are already written too as I wrote em awhile back when I first started this story and the ideas were just kinda flowing from all over and I wanted to get them down ASAP. I'll probably edit over them once more before posting, but don't be surprised if I post multiple chapters again within a short time frame - I figure when a chapter is done, it's done - no point in holding em hostage when I know you guys are eager to read on =)_

_As always, thanks again for the reviews and favorites/follows!_

_On a side note (which had my husband mercilessly teasing me), there is seriously a lack of GG zombie apocalypse fics out there! I happened across one called Gossip Girl Z by xxShamelessDiamondsxx but sadly there's only 6 chapters so far and it hasn't been updated since October! Seriously though - can you imagine our favorite Upper East Siders attempting to survive the zombie apocalypse?!The premise is soooo comical!_


	13. Chapter 13 - Death of a Bassman

_AN: Keep your tissues handy - here comes the funeral chapter/episode!_

* * *

"Blair? Leaving so soon?" Lily questioned as she happened upon Blair making her way across the main room towards the elevator.

"Lily, hello," she greeted Serena's mother who was sitting on the couch by the fire, sipping a glass of wine as she appeared to be reading over some paperwork, most likely regarding final preparations for Bart's funeral in the morning. "I actually just stopped by to pick up Chuck's suit for tomorrow... figured I'd drop it off on my way by The Palace this evening."

Lily nodded. "How is he doing? None of us have seen or heard from him since... since that night..." her voice trailed.

"Well, the hotel staff assures me that they're regularly dropping off food and picking up plates several times a day so obviously something is still alive up in that suite he's holed himself up in," Blair stated.

"But you haven't seen him?"

Sadly, Blair shook her head. "No..." she sighed. "I've stopped by every morning before school and then again in the evening... he refuses to let me in or even speak to me. Lily, I'm worried," she admitted.

"I am too, Blair... but hopefully, having to be around people who love and care about him tomorrow... I'm hoping maybe it'll help," Lily told her.

Blair nodded. "Right... I hope so too. If you don't mind, I should be heading out – go make my nightly attempt to check on him and see who to leave his suit with so that he gets it in the morning."

* * *

"Chuck?" Blair gently called to him as she rapped on the door to his suite. "It's me."

No answer, like there had been for days.

She sighed.

"I know you don't want to see or talk to anyone, and that's fine," she continued. "However I just came by to drop off your suit for tomorrow." She paused, listening for any signs of life on the other side of the door. For a moment she thought she could hear him breathing. "The service is at eleven, Arthur will have your limo waiting outside just after ten." She waited a moment more before hooking the garment bag onto the door and turning back towards the elevators.

Just as she got on the elevator, she could have sworn she heard the click of the lock turn, followed by the door slowly opening.

* * *

He watched through the glass peephole in the door to make sure she was en route towards the elevators before opening the door to retrieve the suit she brought him.

Black pinstripe with a purple pocket square and dark grey tie. He sighed at just how well she knew him.

He felt horrible for continuing to refuse her when he knew she truly cared and only wanted to make sure he was alright. But the truth was, he was an utter mess, moreso than he was that first night when he had retreated here. If he didn't want her to see him a broken mess then, then he really didn't want her to see how badly he had spiraled in the days since.

Tomorrow was another day though. A day where he would be forced to see everyone whether he wanted to or not.

He sighed once again as he finished off the last of the scotch he had brought up for himself. He thought about calling down to the bar and ordering another bottle or two, however when he tried that earlier the bartender refused, no matter how much Chuck threatened to have the man fired.

* * *

Since he couldn't sleep (and honestly, he hadn't slept in days), Chuck decided to wait downstairs at the bar for his father's PI to meet him, thinking he'd help himself to some scotch, however the bartender was still refusing to serve him.

As he waited, his phone rang. He noted the caller ID revealing that it was Blair yet again, most likely to see if he was awake. He quickly hit 'ignore' though. He would have to face her soon enough, just like everyone else he had been avoiding for days.

_God, my head hurts_, he thought to himself as he continued to wait.

He had been in a drug and alcohol fueled binge for days and it wasn't until last night that he ran out of both and was now feeling the side-effects of being without.

"Finally," he muttered as Andrew Tyler took a seat next to him.

"My condolences," the PI began.

"Skip the sympathy," Chuck told him. "This is business – my father met with you right before he died, I want to know what you told him."

"I worked for Mr. Bass – not you, kid," Andrew Tyler reminded him. "And what I have... you're not the only one interested."

"I'm about to become very, very, rich," Chuck baited him.

"Yeah, congrats – but there's someone else who's also about to come into some money... and I think she's a little more motivated than you are," Tyler informed him.

"Lily..." Chuck uttered as it dawned on him. "Bitch is the reason my father is dead."

"I'll be in touch," the PI said as he sat there stone-faced. "You could buy my a drink," he suggested.

"I'm sorry – I can't stay," Chuck said unapologetically. "If you'll excuse me – I have to go bury my father," he stated as he pulled out a hundred dollar bill, setting it on the bar as he reached behind the counter for the nearest bottle of hard liquor he could quickly grab. He figured any liquor would be better than none and have to deal with the detox.

With bottle in tow, he headed back upstairs. He knew Blair would come get him eventually.

* * *

He was reclining on the couch in the suite with his head tilted back, the bottle of liquor already near empty in his hand when he was awaken by the door banging open and the voices of Blair and Nate just a few feet away.

"Oh my god," he heard Blair quietly exclaimed as she surveyed the room.

She gasped as she took in the sight of him. His hair was all disheveled, his eyes were bloodshot – she wasn't sure if it was due to a lack of sleep or drugs, as he looked like he hadn't slept in days. And of course he wreaked of liquor. She wanted to cry at the sight of all the empty liquor bottles strewn around the suite and the remnants of cocaine lines she noticed on the coffee table.

_It's worse that you feared_, she said to herself.

She sighed. "Chuck, come on – it's time to go, Arthur's downstairs with the car waiting," she told him.

Slowly he turned and faced her, his expression vacant. "I don't recall letting you two in," he uttered.

Blair rolled her eyes. "We bribed housekeeping to let us in - Bass, come on! You can't be late today," she stated however he still made no attempt to move from the couch."Nate, come on, help me get him up," she ordered.

With a nod, Nate approached Chuck on the opposite side, putting one arm around him while Blair attempted to help put his other arm around her.

"Wait," she said, noticing his shoes. "Dammit, Chuck! Nate, his shoes are on the wrong feet... Chuck just how drunk are you?!"

* * *

After they got his footwear squared away, they once again attempted to move a deadweight Chuck off the couch. It wasn't an easy task, especially with Nate doing most of the lifting, but they somehow were able to support him on each side and get him out of the suite, into the elevator and down to the car.

"Put that out!" Blair shrieked at him, pulling the cigarette out of his mouth as they rode in the car. "You smell bad enough as it is and I would rather not smell of smoke myself."

Chuck glared at her. He was not in the mood for her going all maternal on him suddenly.

"Fine," he huffed back against the seat. Then he remembered the alcohol stash he kept in the car as he leaned forward to help himself.

"Chuck..." Blair whined as she noticed what he was doing and went to stop him only to once again receive an icy glare from him.

"Just let it go, Blair," Nate told her. He knew Chuck was a lost cause at the moment, indulging himself in whatever vices he could just to numb himself.

"Fine, but he needs to walk it off before we get to the service," she stated.

She sighed as she sat back in resignation and defeat. She hated feeling helpless. She just wanted him to be alright.

"Arthur, please drop off us somewhere discreetly at the church – not at the main doors," she instructed his driver.

He nodded in acknowledgment.

* * *

"We should have just had the car pull up to the door and drop him off at the steps," Nate quipped as him and Blair struggled to keep Chuck standing once outside the vehicle.

"No one should see him like this – he needs to walk it off!" she argued. "Come on, Chuck – just walk it off, walk it off..." she instructed as they attempted to guide him along the path just up the hill from the church. "Walk, Chuck! Bend knee, lift foot!"

He swatted her hand away when she went to reach for his face. He was really getting tired of her telling him what to do, even if she did know what was best at that moment.

She sighed as she held onto his arm while Nate continued to support his other side.

"Maybe we should have just left him at The Palace..." Nate suggested.

"It's his father's funeral, he needs to be here and show his respects," she stated the obvious.

"Respect," Chuck spat. "Funny how dear old dad never showed any of that until his last few days..."

Nate and Blair both sighed, knowing full well the pain Chuck was feeling. He was finally getting to know his father and beginning to have a relationship with him like he always wanted, but sadly it was short-lived.

"Chuck... remember how in eighth grade you used to help yourself to the decanter in The Captain's library?" Blair asked in an attempt to distract him.

"When I first got my taste for single malt liquor..." Chuck recalled.

"That's right," Nate confirmed, realizing what Blair was doing. "And you had to go home to a four course dinner without passing out..."

"Wouldn't want my father to think any less of me..." Chuck stated.

Nate sighed in defeat. _So much for that attempt_, he thought.

"What does it matter now?" Chuck wondered.

"Chuck!" Blair snapped at him. "Am I going to have to stick my finger down your throat?" she demanded to know as she grabbed him by the chin. "Nate will hold back your hair," she added sarcastically as she attempted to straighten his hair out a little bit – it was an utter mess and they were nearing the hill with the church just below.

"Uh... Blair, you had me and then you lost me..." Nate informed her.

She sighed in annoyance, remembering Nate was the only one of their little foursome who was clueless about her experiences with purging. "Just... straighten his tie!"

All of a sudden, Chuck stopped shuffling his feet as something caught his attention. And not in a good way.

"Hey!" he yelled angrily as he threw Blair and Nate off his arms and began storming off wildly down the hill.

Blair looked down to see who he was yelling at, only to see Humphrey standing just a ways below them.

"What are _you_ doing here!" Chuck barked as he nearly fell down the hill, Blair and Nate both chasing after him to try and prevent him from causing a scene.

"Excuse me?" they heard Dan reply in confusion.

"He's just upset and loaded!" Blair called out to Dan as Chuck was just about to get in his face.

"What are _you_ doing at _my_ father's funeral! Did you really think he'd want you here?!" Chuck spat.

"Chuck, if this is about that article, you know I didn't write it..." Dan tried to explain.

"You think I care about your failed attempt at investigative journalism?!" Suddenly Chuck grabbed Dan by the coat and leaned in to whisper. "My father is dead because of your father!"

"What?!" Dan threw him off him. "Look, Chuck, I'm sorry about this-"

"Chuck!" Serena yelled as she interrupted them, putting herself between the two of them and pushing Chuck back a bit to give Dan some space. "Dan has been helping us, unlike you! If anything, you should be thanking him – if it wasn't for him, you might not have ever had the chance to get to know your father the way you did the last few weeks!"

Chuck clenched his fists as he seethed with rage at what his stepsister just said. Nate noticed and quickly stepped in between his two friends, putting a hand against Chuck to hold him back.

"Man, calm down – you two are friends, you don't want to do something you'll regret," Nate carefully urged him.

"Don't tell me to calm down!" Chuck yelled as he attempted to shrug off Nate. "And I don't have to thank him for anything! Do you have ANY idea what his family has done?!"

Serena glared at Chuck only to receive his icy glare right back at her.

"Daniel," Cece said gently as she approached the scene that was unraveling on the sidewalk. "I think it might be best if you leave..."

"What! Grandma... that doesn't make sense - it's not fair!" Serena protested.

"Chuck is Bart's son – it doesn't have to make sense today," Cece told her.

"It's okay," Dan assured Serena "I understand."

"You have NO idea," Chuck stated.

"Dan... I want you here..." Serena pleaded.

"Serena, it's okay – let him go," Aaron intervened.

Serena sighed as she watched Dan turn and leave. She was furious with Chuck.

"Chuck..." Blair spoke to him gently as she reached to take him by the arm.

He wasn't in the mood to be consoled though so he shrugged her off as he began making his way up the sidewalk.

Blair sighed and then turned to address Serena. "S... what you said - that was a really low blow, even for you," she told her before she went to catch up to Chuck.

There was no way she was going to let him go at this alone.

"Chuck, wait!" she called to him as she saw Lily approach him. Given his interaction so far with Serena and Dan, she could only imagine how he would react to Lily.

"I know you're upset, but we all really need each other right now..." Lily began as Chuck strode past her. She made the mistake of reaching for his arm.

"Don't touch me, whore!" he snapped at her as he threw her hand off of him.

"Charles, please..." Lily begged as she continued to follow him, Blair right behind her. "You need to be with your family."

"My family?!" Chuck questioned in disbelief as he turned to face her. "I don't have a family!" he stated as he turned to walk up the steps.

Serena had caught up and put an arm around her mother in comfort. Erik paused on the steps as Chuck brushed past him, wondering what had just happened.

Once again, Blair sighed as she ran up the steps after Chuck.

_This is going to be a long day_, she realized.

* * *

By the time she caught up to Chuck in the church, he was already seated in the front row.

"What the hell was that all about?!" she hissed quietly as she took a seat next to him, reaching for one of his hands that he had folded in his lap. He tried to swat her hand away but this time she didn't let him. "Chuck! Tell me – I know Humphrey's not exactly your favorite person, but why did you just lash out at Lily like that?!"

"Because," he started a moment's pause to think. "It's her fault he's dead."

"What are you talking about?" Blair hastily questioned.

"The night of the ball, before I found you... I found Lily, with Rufus Humphrey," he explained. "She was planning on leaving my father."

"What? Why?" Blair didn't quite understand – this was the first she was hearing about there being a problem between Bart and Lily, aside from the fact that Bart was a workaholic.

"Because she found the dossiers and it freaked her out..."

"Dossiers?"

"He kept dossiers on the whole family... and those he deemed important enough to the family to keep tabs on... mine and Serena's are pretty huge compared to yours, Nathaniel's and Erik's... but Lily's... her's had some size to it as well..." he trailed on.

"Wait, what? Mine?!" Blair gasped in shock. "Your father had a dossier on me?!"

Chuck turned to face her. "Like I said, he kept dossiers on the whole family and anyone he deemed important to the family – it's Bart – why is that so hard to believe?" he questioned. He didn't see why this came as such a shock to everyone who found out. "Anyways, he was trying to work it out with her, but I guess she was more interested in taking a page from Serena's book and jumping ship to Brooklyn," he sighed. "My father was on his way to stop her when the accident happened."

_It all makes sense now_, Blair thought.

Just then Nate approached. "Hey man, the funeral director sent me to come get you – they need us as Pallbearers."

Chuck closed his eyes and sighed. He was not ready for this to actually happen. He felt Blair slide an arm around him, squeezing his arm in comfort.

"You'll be fine," he heard her whisper as her lips gently brushed his cheek. "I'll be right here waiting for you."

He opened his eyes and turned to face her.

Noticing the panic in his eyes, she held his face in her hands as he leaned forward and placed his forehead against hers, breathing deeply trying to calm himself.

"I promise, Chuck – you can do this and I'll be right here when you get back," she assured him.

He pursed his lips as he slowly nodded and proceeded to stand up and follow Nate outside to where Erik was waiting by the hearse.

"Heya, Chuckie!" he heard an all too familiar voice greeting him as a hand clapped down on his shoulder.

Chuck let out a quiet groan as he realized who it was.

"Uncle Jack... I'd be lying if I said I wasn't surprised to see you here..." he muttered.

"You really think I'd miss my big brother's funeral?" Jack asked, a bit hurt. "We may not have always gotten along, nephew, but he's still my brother..."

"Gentlemen, are we ready?" the funeral director asked the four of them before going over some final instructions.

* * *

It was all a blur to Chuck as him and Jack carried the front of the casket into the church with Nate and Erik lifting the back. It took everything in him not to trip up. He soon spotted Blair sitting down front, watching him, giving him a little encouraging and assuring nod as he went. He was glad he had her and Nate for support, despite his behavior earlier.

When the casket was placed at the front, he took his seat next to her. While he felt her slide her arm around him once again and take one of his hands in her other free hand, he spent most of the service staring off vacantly, consumed in his own thoughts of his father. These people spoke so highly of his father – clearly they only knew the facade that he had projected in public and didn't know the side of him that Chuck got to see the majority of his life. The service couldn't end soon enough.

* * *

While he knew people most likely wanted to mingle afterwards and ask how he was doing, he really just wanted to get out of there. As soon as the service was over, he was on his feet and quickly making his way past Nate who had been sitting on his other side to reach the aisle and be on his way to the limo now parked out front.

He wasn't surprised to learn that Blair was right on his heels the whole time. There was no way she was letting him out of her sight. Not after what she had gone through the last few days with him keeping her away.

"Chuck, we can't go get – there's still the grave site down the hill that the casket needs to be moved to," Blair informed him as she climbed into the limo next to him.

"I just want to get out of here," he stated without looking at her.

"You have to go," she told him.

"I don't want to," he growled.

"You're one of your father's pallbearers and his son – you have to," she said sternly.

He sighed, he knew she was right, even though he all he really wanted to do was insist that his driver take him anywhere else but here and drink some of his scotch stash.

Just then, Nate knocked on the window. "Chuck, c'mon man – they need us, pallbearer duties and all."

"The sooner we get this over with the sooner you can leave," Blair reminded him as she opened the door.

"You know Blair, I'm getting really tired of you and Nate both bossing me around today," he hissed.

"Yeah, well, someone has to," she quipped as she exited the vehicle.

Chuck sighed as he pulled himself up and out, following Nate back into the church.

"I'll be right here next to you," he heard Blair whisper as she held onto his arm while they walked. He could only nod in acknowledgment.

* * *

Once they had gotten the casket moved to the grave site, the officiant requested that the family stand down front and center, to have one last moment with the departed before the casket was lowered into the ground.

Chuck had attempted to pay his respects to his father, but he honestly had no idea what to say to him – there was hardly anything appropriate he could think of that was worth saying. He seethed once again as he had to stand next to Lily who had Serena on her other side comforting her and Erik as she wept. He could only hope the bitch felt guilty.

_This is all her fault, _he stated to himself._ He'd be alive right now if it wasn't for her._

Blair could sense Chuck boiling with a rage within as they stood there and gently rubbed her hand along his back as she held onto his left hand with her own.

Nate stood behind Chuck, just to the right of him, placing a hand on his best friend's shoulder, giving him a comforting squeeze. He couldn't imagine losing his father.

After a few moments, they were free to go. Chuck headed back to the limo without saying a word to anyone and purposely avoided contact with anyone who tried. That is, anyone who wasn't Blair as she insisted on walking with him, continuing to hold onto his arm as they walked with Nate following just a few steps behind.

She was at a complete loss – clearly he was hurting but she didn't know what she could possibly do to help other than just simply stay by his side.

* * *

"Look, you don't even have to stay that long - just let people shake your hand, say hello, and you're done..." Nate told Chuck as the trio got off the elevator and entered the Van der Bass penthouse for the reception Lily was hosting.

"You don't have to convince me," Chuck uttered as he took off his coat and handed it to one of the staff.

"Well good, because I would have thought after what happened at the church that you might not want to be here," Blair stated.

"This is exactly where I want to be – I have business to attend to..." Chuck informed them as he looked around the room.

_All these people, most likely here for the free food_, he thought.

"Okay... that's fine, but let's first find you a quiet corner and get some food into your stomach before you start feeling sick from all the alcohol," Blair suggested.

"Not in the mood for food," he muttered as he grabbed a drink off a passing tray and turned to head upstairs towards his father's study.

Blair sighed again in annoyance. She had no idea what she was going to do with him.

_At least he can't cause a scene if he's alone and out of sight_, she thought.

"You're really sweet with him," Nate's voice broke her thoughts.

"Me? Sweet? No," Blair corrected her.

"No, you are," Nate continued. "Worrying about him, staying by his side no matter what, offering him food... it's downright maternal, Blair - you'll be a good mother someday."

"I'm not maternal – I've just been spending too much time with Cyrus and I'm turning Jewish," she made an excuse, turning away as her mother and Cyrus caught her eye across the room.

* * *

"Tonight!?" Blair questioned as she couldn't help but overhear her mother and Cyrus discussing their upcoming wedding. "No – you can't."

"Why not?" Cyrus asked. "Life is so short, it's all uncertain! I don't want to live another day without being your husband – what do you say?"

"She says that's crazy!" Blair spoke for her mother.

"It is – it's crazy..." Eleanor agreed.

"We'll do it at the apartment – just the family... simple, elegant, fast!" Cyrus explained.

"Well... that is kind of romantic..."

"Mother!" Blair gasped in disbelief.

"I thought you were supportive of this union!" Eleanor stated.

"I am... as something that happens in a vague, far off future that never really affects me because I'll be away at college – not like what I'm doing tonight at eight o'clock!" Blair shot back.

"Candlelight!" Cyrus exclaimed. "That's perfect!"

"That's not what I was saying..." Blair tried to stop him.

"No, wait! I don't have anything to wear!" Eleanor cried out as she realized her dilemma.

"I might be able to help," Jenny Humphrey interrupted as she approached, having overheard the conversation. "What did you have in mind?"

"How about you, minding your own business?" Blair suggested.

"I was thinking maybe something with a jacket..." Eleanor stated as she began to think. "But jackets are tricky..."

"I know, but I also know someone who owes you a big favor," Jenny told her. "She would be honored."

"Well then, I think you should tell her that I said... that I said thank you," Eleanor replied.

"Thank you for giving me a chance to make amends," Jenny said gratefully. Blair couldn't help but be disgusted by the suck-up job Jenny was doing.

"Yippee!" Cyrus squealed. "I'll call the Rabbi! Where's Aaron..." he wondered as he wandered off to find his son.

Blair couldn't believe this was happening. So now she had to help her mother with this impromptu wedding tonight at the penthouse all while making sure Chuck didn't do anything stupid.

_Can this day just be over already?!_ She wanted to scream.

* * *

"Where is it..." Chuck wondered to himself as he proceeded to empty out the contents of his father's safe and dump them on the desk, looking for one item in particular.

"If you're looking for Bart's will, you don't have to worry," he heard Lily announce from the open doorway.

"I'm not..." he hissed. "But you should be... I can't find your file."

"It's not here, so you can stop ransacking the place and look at me," she told him.

"I can't look at you, Lily... you disgust me."

"Charles..."

"Disrespecting your marriage...betraying my father with Rufus Humphrey..."

"I did no such thing," Lily boldly stated.

"He was coming to fight for you... talk about dying for nothing."

"The only reason he got in that car was because you called him," Lily spoke. "If you could have just stayed out of it... but you couldn't, could you? Because you're just like him – you have to know everything, control everyone, trust no one..."

"So you're saying this my fault."

"No – it's no one's fault!" Lily tried to explain.

"Yes, it is – it's your fault! His blood is on your hands!" Chuck barked.

Just then he felt a hard slap across his face. And the shock hit him, reflecting on his face. He knew he went too far and deserved it, but at the same she deserved to take what he had to throw at her. He never expected that from her though.

"Oh god... Charles... I'm so sorry!" Lily apologized the moment she realized what she had just done.

"As soon as that will is read, and I get my money... you'll never have to see me again," he informed her as he brushed past her to leave.

* * *

"Where is he going?" Serena questioned as she noticed Chuck storming down the stairs and ordering one of the staff to fetch his coat. Blair and Nate looked over, with Blair immediately heading towards him.

"Chuck!" Nate called out after him.

"Gotta go, can't talk," Chuck stated as he waited for his coat to be fetched.

_What the hell is taking so long?_ He wondered.

"Go where?" Blair challenged him. "Everyone you know is standing right here in this room."

"I don't want to be here..." he confessed, refusing to look at her, knowing that if he did, she would gain control over him.

"We want you here," Erik tried to express. "I just lost my stepfather – I don't want to lose my brother too."

"When are you going to get it?" Chuck spoke sternly. "We are NOT related."

The woman manning the coat closet handed Chuck his coat, prompting him to turn and walk away.

"He doesn't mean it, Erik," Blair apologized when she noticed the hurt look on Erik's face. "He's just upset and is taking it out on whoever he comes across."

Erik nodded, he understood.

Noticing Chuck was headed for the elevator, Blair went to follow after him.

"Hey, hey, hey," Nate called as he pulled her back by the arm. "Just let him go, he needs to be alone."

"No – he doesn't," Blair said soundly. She knew Chuck being alone again was a bad idea – he'd just drink himself into oblivion. "Chuck! Wait up!" she called as she raced to the elevator, only to be met with the doors closing. She frantically pressed the buttons trying to stop it but with no luck.

Quickly retrieving her coat, she figured she'd take the stairs and try to catch him before he disappeared on her.

* * *

"Chuck!" she yelled after him, running down the sidewalk as she spotted him about to get into his limo. "Stop!"

Fortunately, he stopped. "Damnit, Blair!" he exclaimed as he slammed a fist down on the roof of the vehicle. He had been so close to making a smooth getaway, away from her and Nate.

"Don't go," she spoke softly as she finally caught up to him. "Or if you have to leave... let me come with."

"Look, I appreciate your concern and support today," he seethed. "But-"

"No, you don't – you don't appreciate anything today... but I don't care," she interrupted him. "Whatever you're going through, I want to be there for you."

"We've talked about this Blair..." he reminded her, annoyance in his voice as he spoke.

"I know... but I am me, and you are you," she told him as she gently took his hand in hers. "Blair and Chuck... Chuck and Blair... the worst thing you've ever done, the worst thought you've ever had... I'll stand by you through anything," she told him.

"Why Blair? Why would you do that? After all we've been through..."

Blair took a deep breath as she reached up with her other hand and stroked the side of his face as she looked him right in the eyes.

"Because Chuck... I love you," she finally admitted as her eyes searched his. "I love you so much."

He stood there, speechless, not knowing what to say or what to do. He closed his eyes for a moment to think as he felt her thumb gently rubbing his cheek.

_Not the right time_, he thought to himself.

"Blair..." he sadly sighed as he opened his eyes again. "I'm sorry... but I can't... not right now..." he told her as he gently brought her hand to his lips and gave it a chaste kiss before climbing into the limo, closing the door behind him before she could react.

He wanted to tell her so badly, but the timing just didn't feel right. The flux of emotions he was going through all day were more than enough for him to deal with at the moment, he didn't understand why she had to go and complicate things even more for him today. All he wanted was some time alone.

Unfortunately, as soon as he got back to his suite, his phone began to ring.

At first he ignored it without even checking to see who it was – he figured it was probably Blair. But when it began to ring again he decided to check just to make sure.

Turns out it was his father's PI calling, wanting to arrange a meeting.

"I'm already at The Palace, how soon can you meet in the bar?" Chuck asked him. Within moments, he was headed back downstairs.

* * *

_What just happened?!_ Blair wondered to herself as she stood there dumbfounded on the sidewalk, watching Chuck's limo take off down the street and feeling the tears beginning to fall down her cheeks. _I finally told him and he ran..._

She decided to just head on home. Someone had to make sure things were underway for the wedding she was suddenly helping her mother plan for the evening.

* * *

"Well? What do you think?" Cyrus asked her as she descended the stairs after changing into something less dreary.

"Mazel tov," Blair greeted him as she looked around at the arrangements being set about the room.

"Blair, I know this happening a bit fast for you... I just hope you know how happy I am not just to be with your mother but to have you as my family... I love you!" Cyrus told her. "Very, very much."

"I told Chuck I love him," she blurted out as she began to cry.

"Really? That's wonderful!" Cyrus beamed.

"No, it's not!" she sobbed. "It's horrible... I thought that if I could finally say it then everything would be alright... but... he's only pushing me away instead," she explained. "Only a masochist could love such a narcissist," she stated. "Help me..." she tearfully whispered as Cyrus pulled her in for a hug.

"You don't need help, dear – he just needs time. He's going through a lot right now... just give him time and let him know you'll be there for him when he's ready," Cyrus assured her. "Don't worry... it'll all be okay, Blair – you'll see."

Blair smiled. She knew he was right. Chuck was going through a lot right now, perhaps once he sorted everything out they would be okay and able to move forward.

* * *

"Congratulations, you're the high bidder," Andrew Tyler informed him as he handed Chuck the file he had been waiting to know the contents of. "The only bidder actually," he added.

"Well if Lily didn't spend every dollar she has then maybe it's not worth it..." Chuck was quick to point out.

"I was dealing with her mother – she said Lily was wanting to "stop hiding her past, come clean"," Tyler stated.

"Well then what's the point in paying to know something if she's going to tell everyone anyway?" Chuck wondered as he slid the file back to the PI.

"Maybe there is none," the PI admitted. "But... you're about to become the richest kid in New York – if I were you, I would want to make that decision myself."

Chuck sighed as he picked up the file once again and set a bank bag down in front of Andrew Tyler. "Pleasure doing business with you," he said as he got up to leave, curious as to the contents in the file.

* * *

Chuck sat on the couch in the empty great room of Van der Bass penthouse reading through the file, waiting for Lily so he could reveal to her that he now knew her little secret. The secret his father had learned just before the accident.

"I just can't believe you would want this to become public knowledge," he said to her as she finally made her way down the stairs.

"And what is that?" she questioned as she approached him.

"It's exactly what you think it is," he told her.

"I don't understand... my mother..."

"She lied to you," Chuck clued her in. "And to Mr. Tyler... judging by the look on your face, I'm guessing it wasn't your idea after all to come clean."

"Why on earth would she do this?" Lily wondered out loud.

"I don't know... but if it were me, the next time I see her I would ask..." Chuck suggested, watching her closely. "But until then... I am more than happy to further her agenda."

"Charles, I beg you..." Lily started. "Please don't turn away from the people that love you – they're the only chance that any of us have of surviving what we go through... and unfortunately your father never learned that. I can only hope that you do." She explained to him. "I'll leave you to your thoughts as I know it's been a long day, but please don't shut everyone out," Lily told him as she turned to head back upstairs. "Goodnight, Charles."

Chuck took a sip of his scotch as he began to mull over what she had said.

He was normally good at shutting people out, that was for sure. At least most people. His mind began to trail back to today.

To Nate helping him find the strength do what he had to today, to Erik expressing he still considered him to be a brother despite their family ties now being severed... to Lily showing her concern throughout the day even after knowing how he blamed her for his father's death...

And then there was Blair.

She was perhaps the most persistent of them all. She was the only one who checked up on him several times a day for nearly a week despite his refusal to let anyone near him. And then today, looking after him, chasing after him, standing by his side and holding onto him even when he tried to push her away numerous times. True, it might have irritated him at how bossy she had gotten at times, but he knew it was only because she cared. While they hadn't put any official labels on whatever it was they were to each other, he had to admit, she had been his rock through most of the day – he knew he never would have made it through the day in one piece had it not been for her.

And then there was her confession.

She had finally said those three little words to him that he had been waiting to hear from her and dying to say to her. And yet when the moment came for him to say it back... he turned away and retreated to his suite.

He closed his eyes, regretting what he had done. He felt horrible. He knew he needed to go to her.

Before he left, he walked over to the fireplace that was roaring and proceeded to burn the file in his hand. He already knew the contents and it wasn't his secret to reveal anyway.

* * *

Blair couldn't help but wipe away tears as she watched her mother and Cyrus exchange vows. It was so intimate and beautiful... they were both so happy... she could only hope that her and Chuck could be that happy together someday.

They no sooner popped the champagne when Dorota approached her, whispering in her ear.

"Miss Blair, Mr. Chuck is here, waiting upstairs to see you – you must go," the maid informed her.

Blair nodded as she excused herself from the intimate celebration with her mother, Cyrus, Serena, Aaron and the Rabbi.

* * *

"What do you think you're doing here?" she demanded to know as she entered her bedroom to see Chuck sitting on the edge of her bed, his back to the door.

He turned to face her, but he couldn't speak.

"Blair..." he sighed as he finally found his voice.

Seeing what a complete, broken mess he was, she quickly raced over to him, wrapping him in her arms as she held him tightly.

"What is it, Chuck? What do you need?" she asked softly.

"You," he admitted. "Just you... I need to feel something – anything – other than... other than this," he told her as he reached up and held onto her, resting his head against her chest as he breathed deeply while she proceeded to rock him back and forth in an attempt to comfort him.

It was then the tears began to fall as Chuck realized he never actually cried over his father's death until now. "I'm sorry," he apologized as he began to sob uncontrollably.

"It's okay," she assured him as she softly kissed the side of his head.

"No, I mean about earlier... and pretty much all of today," he clarified.

"I understand, it was a rough day, you had a lot to deal with – I'm not mad," she told him as she ran her fingers through his hair. "Come here," she beckoned him to come lie down once he seemed to have stopped crying for the most part. "You haven't slept in days, have you?"

He shook his head in response as he slid his shoes off and climbed on top of the bed.

He let out a sigh of relief as he felt her wrap her arms around him once more as he lied there on his side. "Thank you," he whispered as he interlocked his fingers with hers and slowly brought them to his lips for a gentle kiss. "For everything."

He soon began to drift off to sleep for the first time in days. Lying there in her arms he felt safe - he felt at home.

Blair smiled as she noticed him lightly snoring. She leaned forward and gently kissed the back of his neck as she nestled in behind him.

_Everything's going to be okay_, she told herself as she held him tightly, his hands tangled up in hers.

* * *

She awoke in the early hours of morning to a light breeze blowing through the room. Sitting up, she noticed she was alone in the bed and the window to the fire escape was open, the curtains dancing in the wind. Looking down, she noticed a note left behind on the pillow next to her.

_Please don't hate me, I just need some time alone to think. _

_I'm sorry for everything. _

_Don't come looking for me._

_-Chuck_

"No..." she cried as she sprung out of the bed and towards the window, looking up and down the street below to see if maybe she could still catch him if she hurried. But sadly there was no sign of him anywhere.

Feeling defeated, she crawled back into bed and proceeded to cry herself to sleep over the loss of him. She really had no idea what more she could do for him at this point.

But tomorrow was another day. And she would wait for him until however long it took him to come around. Secretly though she hoped they could work things out by Christmas.

* * *

Leaving her behind was probably one of the hardest things he ever had to do, however until he could figure out how to deal with all these emotions on his own, it was best to keep her away. He would never be able to forgive himself if he dragged her down with him.

So he left.

And not just her, but the city.

Christmas was just around the corner so he decided to head somewhere warm and less dreary to try and clear his head, thinking that maybe - just maybe - he'd figure everything out in time to surprise her for New Year's.

* * *

_AN: And there you have it... no happy ending just yet - sorry, but it had to happen!_

_Last spring we had to bury my father-in-law, so I was able to use my insight from that process to help write some of this. I also toyed with the idea of going a little High Fidelity here too with Chuck and Blair ("Have sex with me... I want to feel anything but this") but decided to go a different route with it as I couldn't find a good place really to fit that in and still have it work right. I think it turned out well though (and I highly suggest checking out High Fidelity if you haven't either because John Cusack will always be attractive in everything he does!)._

_Like I said previously, the next few chapters are already written, just need to do some final edits. Will probably post the next chapter in a few days, after everyone's had a chance to read this one (as I fear some may have missed chapter 11 because I posted chapter 12 so soon after - oops!)._

_As always, thanks for the comments/reviews and favorites/follows - it's really encouraging and MUCH appreciated!_

_On a side note, did you know that Hazel (Dreama Walker) starred in Don't Trust the B- in Apartment 23? Hubby and I just watched most of the first season on Netflix the other night and it's a pretty funny show - especially love James van der Beek playing a fictionalized over the top version of himself!_


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